31 May 2024
Next week, from 6-9 June, EU citizens will cast their ballots for the European elections 2024, and give a mandate to 720 members of the European Parliament to represent them for the next five years. Ahead of this crucial moment for the EU democracy, you can consult the following pages with all the information on the votes:
The EU elections are a unique moment to collectively decide on the future of the European Union. The more people vote, the stronger democracy becomes. As communication partner of the European Parliament in the #UseYourVote campaign, SGI Europe calls on those eligible to vote to make their voices heard, express their views and collectively shape a bright future that works for all, respecting diversity, openness and tolerance.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
On Tuesday 28 May, the kick-off conference of the project “LABOUR-INT 3: A multi-stakeholder initiative for migrant integration into the labour market” took place, hosted by SGI Europe. This conference started implementing a three-year initiative aimed at enhancing employment opportunities for migrants and refugees and fostering their integration into the EU labour market. Funded by the European Commission's DG HOME, LABOUR-INT 3 builds upon the successes of its predecessors, LABOUR-INT 1 and 2, emphasising multi-stakeholder collaboration among social and economic partners at various levels.
The kick-off conference brought together representatives from the EU social and economic partners (SGI Europe, ETUC, BusinessEurope, SMEunited and Eurochambres), underscoring the importance of cohesive efforts in supporting migrant integration and promoting a multi-stakeholder approach. The European Commission’s DG HOME highlighted their commitment to this cause, which aligns with the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021-2027.
National project partners, including Bulgaria's CITUB and Caritas Sofia, Italy's Fondazione Rita Maierotti and SMILE Puglia, Poland's OPZZ, and Slovenia's ZRSZ-ESS and ZSSS, provided insights into their respective roles and initiatives. All shared their plans for implementing the project on the ground, presenting a comprehensive analysis of the situation at the national level regarding the integration of third-country nationals into their national labour markets.
The LABOUR-INT 3 initiative will leverage the strengths of various stakeholders, including employers, trade unions, public employment services, chambers of commerce, and NGOs. Throughout its duration, the project will develop practical tools and resources to address challenges in migrant integration, focusing on education, training, and job placement. By enhancing the capacities of labour market actors and fostering a collaborative environment, LABOUR-INT 3 will create sustainable pathways for migrants and refugees to secure meaningful employment, ultimately benefiting a wide range of stakeholders across Europe.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
The Rubes Triva Foundation and the Olympus Observatory of the University of Urbino "Carlo Bo" will organise the third edition of the International Festival of Health and Safety at Work, which will take place in Pesaro from 12 to 14 June. Ahead of the Festival, the live show “Safety Love” will take place in Piazza del Popolo on the evening of Tuesday 11 June.
The festival, now in its third edition, is organised by the Rubes Triva Foundation in synergy with INAIL and EU-OSHA (European Agency for Safety and Health at Work). It is a place for discussion and further disseminating, in the European context, a culture of safety and promoting health in the workplace.
“Prevention policies and protection of the person at work" is the theme of this edition, which aims to direct the debate and stimulate reflection on "work" as a sphere of expression, realisation, integration and inclusion of the person.
The novelty of the third edition of the festival is the "Safety Love" show, which will combine entertainment and topics related to health and safety at work. The aim is to collect signatures to adhere to the Urbino Charter. Ten artists will take part in the event, giving voice on stage to the Charter's ten principles.
Contact: Delfina Bucci
On Monday 17 June 2024, SGI Europe held its event on “The Green Single Market as a Lever for Sustainable Competitiveness”, from 14:00 to 17:30, at the European Economic and Social Committee in Brussels. This event will feed SGI Europe's contribution to the report on the future of EU competitiveness, which Mario Draghi is currently drafting.
The first panel will be on “The Contribution of SGIs to the Green Single Market”, allowing SGIs providers and employers’ sectoral organisations and companies to explain how their contribution is vital to the Single Market and the Green Deal that goes along with it and how they are making the bridge between the two.
The second panel on “SGIs as enablers and actors of the EU competitiveness” will highlight how Services of General Interest are at the core of the future of a competitive, fair, and green EU economy and how their approach to EU competitiveness, from a different perspective to the classic business community, shows their role as enablers and actors of EU competitiveness.
You can consult the agenda here and register here.
Contact: Benoit Cassorla
On 29, 30 and 31 May, SGI Europe joined the Brussels session of the Tripartite Exchange Seminar (TES) jointly organised by Eurofound, Cedefop and the European Environmental Agency (EEA) on how the green just transition is dealt with through social dialogue.
During the three-day exchange, participants discussed the impact of the green transition on industrial relations, employment, skills, and training needs at the national and sectoral levels. They explored how the green, just transition can become a standard topic of the social dialogue agenda.
The cross-sectoral social partners at the European level are part of the steering committee of the TES, which gathered representatives of Member States' social affairs and environment ministries and national social partners in Brussels. The participants discussed how to improve the capacity of social partners and governments to engage and act effectively in social dialogue (and the world of work) with a specific focus on the green, just transition in the Member States.
On 29 May, SGI Europe further contributed to a panel discussion on a systemic approach to green just transition, and the interconnections between social, economic and environmental goals. During this session and with the green just transition becoming a driver for sustainable growth, the role of social partners was discussed, addressing impacts, taking a forward-looking perspective (anticipating changes in the labour market, skills, etc.) and looking at the big picture.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
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