3 February 2023
SGI Europe has just published its Policy Kit, prepared in light of the programme of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU. It highlights SGI Europe’s ongoing priorities and how, together with its members, SGI Europe intends to contribute to the success of the Swedish Presidency in the first semester of 2023. The Policy Kit is available here.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
On Wednesday 1 February, the European Commission presented its Green Deal Industrial Plan to support the fast transition to climate neutrality whilst enhancing the competitiveness of Europe's net-zero industry. It is based on four pillars: a predictable and simplified regulatory environment (around the upcoming Net-Zero Industry Act), speeding up access to finance, enhancing skills, and opening trade for resilient supply chains.
The Plan aims to provide a more supportive environment for scaling up the EU's industrial capacity for the net-zero technologies and products required to meet Europe's ambitious climate targets. It builds on previous initiatives and relies on the strengths of the EU Single Market, complementing ongoing efforts under the European Green Deal and REPowerEU.
Reacting to the proposal tabled by the European Commission, SGI Europe highlighted that the Green Deal must remain the driver for the future economic growth of the EU, with the Green Deal Industrial Plan enabling industries to contribute to the transition. Providers of services of general interest should also directly benefit from boosts in investment and access to finance, developing future-oriented skills and simplifying the regulatory environment. You can find more about SGI Europe’s comments in our press release.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
In the context of the presented Communication: A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age, EVP Vestager announced that the Commission is currently consulting the Member States about the adjustment of the Temporary Crisis Framework to support the development and deployment of key technologies strategic for the green and digital transitions. The current TCF will be renamed into Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF) and, if adopted, will apply until 31 December 2025.
The Commission is now exploring simplifying aid for renewable energy deployments and decarbonising industrial processes, enhancing investment support schemes for the production of strategic net-zero technologies, including the possibility of granting higher aid to match the aid received for similar projects by competitors located outside of the EU while ensuring the proportionality of such aid; and introducing more targeted aid for major new production projects in strategic net-zero value chains, taking into account global funding gaps.
Key features of the TCTF are its temporality and targeted nature. The Commission also assured that they would continue to proceed fast in the notification procedures, as they did under the TCF, where the median approval time has been 19 days.
Additionally, the Commission intends to revise the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) by increasing the thresholds for the following areas: hydrogen, carbon capture and storage, zero-emission vehicles and energy performance of buildings. Granting more flexibility for the aid supporting Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) is also foreseen. We will be monitoring the developments regarding the TCTF and other revisions of state aid closely.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
On Monday 30 January, the Council adopted a recommendation on adequate minimum income. This Recommendation comes while our societies are still facing a sharply increased cost of living, with subsequent inflation endangering the ability of many Europeans to live a life in dignity. SGI Europe welcomes the recommendation as it leads the way to adequate access to enabling and essential services and a more inclusive labour market.
The Council Recommendation intends to combat poverty and social exclusion and to pursue high levels of employment by combining adequate income support through minimum income benefits and accompanying monetary benefits, and by fostering the integration of those who can work. To do so, the Member States are recommended to set the level of minimum income gradually to achieve an adequate level of income support by 2030. In this regard, Member States are also recommended to take into account overall income sources, the specific needs and disadvantaged situations of the households, the income of a low-wage earner or a minimum wage earner, standards of living and purchasing power, as well as price levels and their related developments.
Additionally, Member States are recommended to ensure flexibility in the design of minimum income and to regularly review its adequacy during economic downturns, as it can play an essential role in mitigating the adverse social consequences and stabilising the economy.
SGI Europe believes that adequate minimum income will be crucial in addressing the cost of living crisis and fostering better conditions for Labour market integration.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Thursday 2 February 2023, the plenary of the European Parliament adopted the negotiating mandate on the proposal for a directive on improving working conditions in platform work, with 376 MEPs voting for the text, 212 voting against and 15 abstaining.
The proposal for a directive on platform work was introduced in 2021 by the European Commission and intends to address the challenges posed by the gig economy and the growth of platform work in the EU. The proposal aims to clarify the rights and obligations of platforms, provide greater protection for people working through platforms, and ensure that they have access to social protection systems. With its expected impact on industrial relations between employers and employees, SGI Europe closely monitors the development of platform work, calling for avoiding any uniform definition for “platform work”; different Member States have different definitions and have granted additional layers of protection to specific categories of self-employed.
Once the European Council has agreed on its position, interinstitutional negotiations will start. SGI Europe emphasises that the definition of the status of people that perform work through digital platforms remains at the national level in the hands of Member States, national social partners, or national courts.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Wednesday 1 February, the European Commission organised a dedicated event celebrating the two years since the launch of the European Climate Pact. The event gathered Pact Ambassadors from all over Europe and discussed climate action and how to build a more sustainable Europe for the future with Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission.
With more than 400 participants on-site and a good number online, several Pact ambassadors and activists presented their activities and projects around two round tables. They showcased how citizens, communities, cities, and regions connect and intensify their climate action. Among others: Filip Koprcina from Croatia, who presented his platform making citizens co-owners of solar farms; and Rada Boneva from Bulgaria, who talked about slow and second-hand fashion.
The European Climate Pact is an initiative of the European Commission supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal. It is a movement to build a greener Europe, providing a platform to work and learn together, develop solutions, and achieve real change. The Climate Pact is open to all Europeans. More than four million European citizens have already made concrete commitments to the Pact, and 750 committed ambassadors are driving change in their communities.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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