28 March 2024
SGIs provide for the performance of the EU economy and the well-being of EU citizens. They are natural actors that reinforce the EU’s sovereignty and strategic autonomy while supporting the EU’s democracy and values. With new policy priorities in Europe, including improving its resilience, security of supply for strategic resources and accelerating the twin transition, SGIs must be recognised as a pillar for the future of the EU and provided with the right framework to flourish.
In the past five years, SGI Europe has been on the frontline through the roll-out of the EU Green Deal, the development of an EU social policy respecting the principle of subsidiarity and the role of social partners, as well as the expansion of the “foresight capacity” to anticipate better crises and the growth of the EU Open Strategic Autonomy. Building upon those achievements, SGI Europe has established its strategic priorities for the EU legislative term 2024-2029.
Considering SGIs’ essentiality to our social, environmental and economic well-being, we call on all European parties and candidates to address those issues and preserve the unique role of SGIs in the EU social and economic model, with a focus on:
To achieve those priorities, SGI Europe highlights the need for appropriate institutional recognition through:
On Tuesday 26 March, SGI Europe’s Water Task Force welcomed Veronica Manfredi, Director for Zero Pollution and Green Cities at the European Commission’s DG Environment, to address a potential water resilience roadmap for Europe.
Considering the chapter on water scarcity in the latest Climate Risks Assessment by the European Environmental Agency, SGI Europe strongly recommends taking specific measures to safeguard Europe’s water resources. Priorities must be set if there is competition for the use of public drinking water. Hence, the task force has discussed with Ms Manfredi how SGIs can ensure that water issues are better addressed on a cross-sectoral level.
SGI Europe’s members also highlighted the need for specific proposals to address the resilience of the EU water systems. Earlier this month, SGI Europe and 20+ stakeholders signed a joint letter calling for such a roadmap and bringing the water issue back on the EU agenda.
More specifically, SGI Europe calls for protecting the water supply by supporting public services and SGIs with strong political will. The functioning of water supply and wastewater disposal is vital for every part of society and business. A dedicated EU Water Resilience roadmap can best reflect this.
On Wednesday 27 February 2024, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, addressed the high-level conference “Unlocking social conditionality: Extending a social ‘Do No Significant Harm’ principle in investments (co-)funded by the EU”. The Belgian presidency of the Council of the European Union organised the conference.
SGI Europe joined the final panel, ‘Looking forward: opportunities and challenges for a social ‘DNSH’’. Profiled as the conference’s ‘political panel’, which also featured MEP Paul Tang (S&D, NL), the ETUC, the OECD, Finance Watch and the ELTI.
On this occasion, Valeria Ronzitti outlined why a framework to boost social investment is needed to address funding gaps in critical social infrastructures such as healthcare, social housing and education. As public funding alone will not be enough to allow these SGIs to adapt and contribute to the green and digital transitions, a social taxonomy would help attract investment from socially minded investors.
The existing Sustainable Finance Framework already aims to avoid investments' negative social impacts. However, it does not give any guidance on how sustainable investments can contribute positively to social goals. For the transition towards climate neutrality to be just and fair, the social contribution of investments must be considered by creating a complementary Social Investment Framework. Valeria Ronzitti recalled that SGI Europe had already proposed such a framework to the European Commission in October last year.
The Belgian presidency intends to keep working on social conditionality and bring it forward as an area for the new Commission to work on.
SGI Europe leads the Labour-Int 3 project, funded by DG HOME and implemented in collaboration with 13 social and economic partners at local, national and international levels representing employers, trade unions, public employment services, chambers of commerce and non-governmental organisations. Drawing from the past editions of the project, the Labour-Int 3 aims to promote employment as a key part of the integration of third-country nationals in the society and the labour market while fostering the rolling out of the multi-stakeholders approach to integration in Bulgaria, Italy, Poland and Slovenia.
SGI Europe is looking for external experts to support the project's implementation. The selected expert will participate in the Expert Group on Migration and be tasked with analysing the European arena and developing nationally and locally adaptable tools to promote effective inclusion and sustainable employment conditions for refugees and migrants. For more information, please refer to the call for tenders available here.
It is with pleasure that SGI Europe invites you to participate in the Hybrid workshop “Social Dialogue in Circular Economy – Waste to Energy”, which will be held on Thursday, 11th April 2024, from 9.30 to 12.30. You can find the Agenda here as well as the background paper to this workshop here.
The event is organized in the framework of the project “Social Dialogue in Circular Economy” (SDiCE), funded by the European Union, led by Employers of Poland, and co-implemented by SGI Europe. The project aims to promote social dialogue in Poland at the cross-industry and sectoral levels, develop European social dialogue, and build and strengthen the capacity of national social partners.
The event will be held entirely in English and will allow hybrid participation (online and in person). SGI Europe will allow a maximum of 20 attendees at their premises in Brussels, and seats will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
If you are interested in attending the workshop, please confirm your participation using the following link.
On 30 April 2024 (9:30-17:30), the final event of the EU Year of Skills (EYS) - “European Year of Skills – what comes next?” – will take place. On this occasion, participants will look back at the achievements of the Year and reflect on the road ahead. The European Commission wants to ensure with this event that the EYS continues beyond its “closing date” and that delivering in practice should remain a top priority, as demonstrated by the publication of the Action Plan on Labour and Skills Shortages on 20 March 2024.
The conference will feature prominent political and stakeholder panels, inspiring speeches, insightful conversations, and interactive discussion groups on specific topics.
In this context, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, will join a high-level panel with Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, Christie Morreale, Vice-President of the Walloon Government and Minister for Employment, Training, Health, Social Action, Social Economy, Equal Opportunities and Women’s Rights, MEP Joao Albuquerque (S&D, PT) and the general secretaries of the EU Social Partners.
The purpose of this political panel will be to highlight the importance of skills for the individual worker as well as for the competitiveness of every economic sector. It will also reflect on the role of EU actions and, more specifically, the European Year of Skills in advancing Europe’s ‘skills revolution’. It should provide a good opportunity to reflect on what is needed to maintain the momentum beyond the Year.
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