4 November 2022
On Wednesday 2 November 2022, SGI Europe addressed the Global Deal Forum 2022, organized by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Madrid. The Global Deal is a multi-stakeholder partnership of governments, businesses and employers’ organisations, trade unions, civil society and other organisations for the promotion of social dialogue and sound industrial relations as effective means for achieving decent work.
Speaking in the opening panel on “Social Dialogue for the greening of the economy in times of crisis”, SGI Europe General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti insisted on the importance of Social Dialogue in shaping a Just Transition. She especially focused on the need to identify and develop up- and re-skilling schemes (as well as the need to cooperate actively with VET providers) and to foster social acceptability of the green transition. Mrs Ronzitti also highlighted that crises are often presenting opportunities: the current energy prices crisis could therefore be a pivotal chance for the EU to move away from fossil fuels towards a low-carbon economy. To that aim, she called on EU institutions to implement temporary solutions to address the consequences of the crisis, shaped in cooperation with social partners.
Other speakers on the panel included Luis Miguel De Camps García-Mella (Minister of Labour of the Dominican Republic), Pablo Mieres (Minister of Labour and Social Security of Uruguay), Boitumelo Moloi (Deputy Minister of Employment and Labour of South Africa), Carina Cabezas (President of Sodexo Iberia), Stephen Cotton (General Secretary, International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)) and Luis Rodrigo Morales Velez (Senior Advisor of the International Organisation of Employers (IOE)). The panel was moderated by Stefano Scarpetta, OECD Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs.
During the two-day event, the 2022 Global Deal Flagship Report was also presented, provides an overview and examples of promotion and strengthening of social dialogue in addressing global labour market challenges. You can consult the report here.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
On Monday 31 October, the European Commission updated the technical standards for financial market participants according to the approved Complementary Delegated Act on gas and nuclear-related activities of the EU taxonomy Regulation under the Sustainable Finance Disclosures Regulation (SFRD). These amendments provide more transparency about investments in sectors and sub-sectors of the economy covered by and compliant with the EU taxonomy, providing investors with information to make investment decisions in line with their sustainability preferences. This new Delegated Act complements the earlier proposal to include the activities of gas and nuclear to the EU taxonomy reporting and categorised them as transitional activities to pave the way towards a more decarbonised economy.
For SGI Europe, the initial criteria for the classification of gas as a sustainable economic activity have proven to be still very demanding, even for the most modern gas plants. With the ongoing energy crisis, achieving the energy transition affordably and realistically has become an even-more costly and significant challenge.
SGI Europe also welcomed the approach of the Commission to categorise nuclear as eligible in the EU taxonomy, in line with the findings of the JRC report "Technical assessment of nuclear energy with respect to the 'do no significant harm' criteria of Regulation (EU) 2020/852 ('Taxonomy Regulation')". Given its low carbon footprint, the increase of energy demand (especially electricity) and fluctuating renewables, SGI Europe sees nuclear as part of the solution to meet the future energy needs of the EU economy.
The updated requirements will now be formally transmitted to the European Parliament and the Council, who will have three months to scrutinise the act. It is foreseen that the updated SFRD will be coming into force on 1 January 2023.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Friday 28 October, the European Commission put forward its amendments and prolongation of the Temporary Crisis Framework for State Aid (TCF). The TCF was prolonged until 31 December 2023, meaning that all the aid measures have to be approved and granted by the end of 2023. Future prolongations and amendments of the TCF are already anticipated.
Last Friday, The TCF was amended to include further clarification for the recapitalisation support measures (in line with the Temporary Framework set up during the pandemic), the introduction of new measures aimed at supporting electricity demand reduction, the increased ceilings for limited amounts of aid (from EUR 500.000 to EUR 2 million), the introduction of additional flexibility for liquidity support to energy utilities for their trading activities (exceeding 90% coverage for public guarantees), the increase of flexibility and support possibilities for companies affected by rising energy costs (new calculation of eligible costs, higher ceilings and intensities), and further flexibility to beneficiaries suffering from a reduction in economic performance during the crisis (the overall aid per undertaking is limited to EUR 100 million with intensity of 40% of eligible costs) and to energy-intensive businesses (per undertaking EUR 50 million, 65% eligible costs).
In the current crisis, this amendment to the TCF generated many debates and discussions. As some Member States need urgent measures to protect their economies, ensuring a level-playing field must remain crucial. SGI Europe will continue to monitor developments around the TCF, highlighting the need for a balanced approach allowing Member States to support economic actors whilst preserving the integrity of the Single Market.
Contact: Manca Pocivavsek
SGI Europe attended the meeting of the Urban Agenda Partnership which took place on 2 and 3 November in Haarlem, the Netherlands, focusing on the strategic role of public procurement in tackling social, economic, and environmental challenges.
Successful initiatives and projects have been presented during the meeting, such as the URBACT which aims to help cities to develop an integrated set of actions for sustainable change, and the Procura+ network which supports public authorities that wants to implement sustainable and innovation procurement.
The meeting included group discussions focusing on leveraging public procurement for achieving the objectives of a Sustainable Economic Recovery, the Green Deal, and the EU Procurement Platform. Case studies were presented linked to the cycle of procurement, including the use of social criteria to create jobs, more effective dialogue with SMEs, and circular procurement to create new products.
Contact: Stefan Enica
On 30 November 2022, the European Commission will organise a dedicated hearing of the EU Social Partners, aiming at collecting inputs on the upcoming proposal for a Council recommendation on Social Economy.
Expected in the Q2 2023, the proposal for a Council Recommendation on developing social economy framework conditions will be one of the key actions to implement the Action Plan for the Social Economy, adopted in December 2021. The initiative aims to help Member States better adapt their policies and legal frameworks to the specific needs of social economy entities in all relevant fields. This is necessary to boost the untapped potential of the social economy and facilitate its more even development across EU Member States and regions.
SGI Europe welcomes the intention of the European Commission to table such a proposal for a Council recommendation, insisting on the necessity to develop a fiscal framework for social economy actors allowing them to address their growing investment needs and whilst creating an equitable and stable business environment to boost sustainable and job-rich growth in the Union.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
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