30 January 2026
SGI Europe has responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the upcoming revision of the public procurement Directives. The consultation seeks to assess how to modernize and simplify procurement rules, as well as how to enable preference for European products in public procurement.
In its response, SGI Europe calls for the revision to focus on reducing administrative burdens, increasing legal certainty and preserving flexibility for contracting authorities and entities. To this end, public procurement rules should be firmly refocused on ensuring the best value for money in the award and execution of public contracts. Strategic objectives – whether environmental, social, industrial, or other – can be encouraged without imposing mandatory obligations, excessive bureaucracy, or one-size-fits-all solutions.
In addition, updating the thresholds to at least reflect inflation is key to ensuring that EU procurement rules apply primarily to contracts with a genuine cross-border interest, while maintaining proportionality, efficiency in public spending, and encouraging greater competition.
Similarly, greater flexibility for negotiations throughout the procurement procedures and allowing for corrections to procurement documents should also be seen as key elements when simplifying procurement rules.
More broadly, the general public procurement framework should focus on defining “how to buy’’, without determining what has to be procured. This implies respecting the principle of subsidiarity, as well as the freedom of authorities to procure according to their specific needs.
Overall, SGI Europe advocates for a balanced revision that ensures that public procurement remains a practical, flexible and reliable tool for public buyers and contracting authorities and entities alike.
The Commission plans to adopt the revised public procurement rules in the second quarter of 2026.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
On 29 January 2026, SGI Europe submitted its response to the European Commission’s first-stage consultation of social partners under Article 154 TFEU on the possible direction of EU action to improve working conditions, health and safety at work, and the implementation of workers’ rights, in the context of the announced Quality Jobs Act.
In its contribution, SGI Europe welcomes the Commission’s reflection on job quality while underlining that job quality is a multidimensional and context-dependent concept that cannot be defined through a single EU-wide model. As employers delivering services of general interest, SGI Europe members stress that job quality must be considered alongside service quality, resilience and competitiveness, and that solutions must reflect national, sectoral and workplace realities.
Across the themes covered by the consultation, SGI Europe emphasises that priority should be given to effective implementation, coherence and simplification of the existing EU acquis, rather than the creation of new horizontal regulatory instruments. The response highlights the importance of subsidiarity and proportionality, warning against overly prescriptive or one-size-fits-all approaches that risk increasing regulatory complexity without delivering better outcomes in practice.
On digitalisation, algorithmic management and occupational safety and health, SGI Europe recalls that a substantial EU legal framework already exists and calls for greater clarity, guidance and support for implementation. The position paper also stresses that challenges related to subcontracting or psychosocial risks primarily point to enforcement and capacity issues, rather than regulatory gaps.
Looking ahead, SGI Europe recalls that the first-stage consultation under Article 154 TFEU is intended to inform the Commission’s assessment of whether EU action is warranted and in which direction. SGI Europe will closely follow the Commission’s conclusions and stands ready to engage constructively in the next steps of the process, including a possible second-stage consultation, with a continued focus on effective social dialogue, proportionality and practical implementation.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Friday 30 January 2026, the members of the SGIs Network, gathering associations representing providers and employers of services of general interest (SGIs) and public services, held a meeting at SGI Europe premises.
This meeting was the occasion for the members of the network to exchange on the Intergroup on Services of General Interest draft work programme for 2026. A work programme which reflects the core messages of the SGIs Network: making sure SGIs are a cornerstone of the EU Social Model, have a central role to ensure citizens’ quality of life, support economic growth and contribute to the EU competitiveness and help balance the economic and social dimension. After the first year of the intergroup's launch, the second year should be the one that puts forward SGI providers’ concerns at the top of the EU agenda.
SGI Network members took this opportunity to also exchange views on the upcoming Informal Leaders’ Retreat, a gathering of all EU Heads of State in Belgium, initiated by President Antonio Costa, which will take place on 12 February 2026. A moment to coordinate the main messages that providers of services of general interest would like to put forward to the EU leaders.
Finally, Inga Pavlovaite, external expert, introduced to the SGI Network partners the “Capacity Building Project 2025-2027”, a joint sectoral coordination project from the EU social partners. The project objective is to facilitate cooperation with EU-level sectoral employers and social partners on matters related to social dialogue, collective bargaining and capacity building. A perfect way to reinforce SGI Network members' cooperation.
Contact: Benoit Cassorla
On 27 January, the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) voted to confirm a provisional agreement on the management of railway infrastructure capacity under the Single European Railway Area. This progress builds on the interinstitutional agreement reached between the Council and Parliament on in November 2025. The new system aims to harmonise how rail capacity is planned and managed across the EU, enabling more frequent and reliable services. By introducing common rules for scheduling and allocating train paths, the legislation allows for long-term planning beyond the standard annual timetable and makes it easier to add extra services at short notice.
While national infrastructure managers in Europe will continue to lead local coordination, the European Network of Infrastructure Managers (ENIM) will now take on a central role. ENIM is tasked with developing three critical EU-level frameworks:
Rapporteur Tilly Metz and TRAN Chair Elissavet Vozemberg-Vrionidi have indicated that this "early second reading" procedure reflects strong inter-institutional alignment. The proposal is set for a plenary sitting on 18 May where it is expected to be adopted without further amendment.
SGI Europe welcomes the agreement on a new European approach for seamless rail travels. Reaching the EU Climate goals for 2030 and beyond must allow for a modal shift from road to rail enabling citizens to choose for low emission travels across Europe. This needs to happen by systematically adjusting EU legislative frameworks such as CER and TEN-T favouring public transport and identifying financial support and incentives that mus
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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