6 September 2024
In the framework of the Accessible Climate-Conscious Essential Services (A.C.C.E.S.) project, SGI Europe, BDEW, UFE and USH will organise the project kick-off conference on Monday 30 September 2024, from 12:00 to 17:30. The meeting will take place at the Martin’s Brussels EU Hotel (Boulevard Charlemagne 80, B-1000, Brussels). The conference's working language will be English, and no interpretation will be provided. During the event, a lunch will be provided, and a networking cocktail will follow. In the project context, travel and accommodation expenses can be reimbursed.
The event will be the occasion for project partners to present the research and fresh findings from recently conducted surveys and interviews with stakeholders operating in the water, energy and social housing sectors. In addition, it will also be a great opportunity to discuss the climate change impacts and infrastructure challenges in the water, energy, and social housing sectors and to exchange ideas and opinions on how to ensure the availability, affordability and quality of essential services.
The event is for up to 40 participants, and it will be an opportunity to engage directly with stakeholders, explore data and findings, share ideas and network with experts operating in the water, energy, and social housing sectors across Europe. You can consult the draft agenda here, and register here.
Contact: Cecilia Martin
On 4 September 2024, Bruegel held its Annual Meetings in Brussels. The event gathered high-level speakers for discussions to contribute to better economic policymaking, in Europe and beyond.
This year, the event took place at a crucial moment in the EU political agenda, a few months after the European Parliament elections and on the eve of the formation of the new Commission. The general economic context is also significant, with conflicts in the EU’s neighbourhood developing, and as the post-pandemic recovery is slowing down, growth prospects are on the downside. Investments are being strained, leading to risks to the capacity of EU enterprises to address the green and digital transition successfully. In this context, such discussions are crucial.
In particular, the panel discussion “Achieving growth through a pro-competitive industrial policy and integrated single market” featured, amongst others, Fiona Scott Morton, Senior fellow at Bruegel; Sven Giegold, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action and Luc Rémont, CEO of EDF. This panel was the occasion to touch upon Enrico Letta’s report on the future of the EU Single Market, as well as the most-anticipated ‘Draghi report’ on the competitiveness of the EU, which will both shape the future political proposals of the European Commission for the future of the EU.
In anticipation of those proposals, SGI Europe shared its key recommendations in 2 dedicated papers: our SGI Europe Opinion ‘SGIs for a Sustainable EU Competitiveness’, as well as the SGI Europe contribution to the Letta report on the Future of the Single Market, titled ‘SGIs and the Future of the Single Market’.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
The European Commission’s DG GROW has opened a call for applications to select new members for the existing expert group on public procurement. The group is tasked with advising the Commission on the development of its public procurement policy. The deadline for applications is 25 September 2024.
The expert group consists of a maximum of 20 members, split into three different types. SGI Europe members with extensive experience with public procurement would be particularly interested in applying as type A members: ‘individuals appointed in a personal capacity, bringing diverse backgrounds and extensive experience in public procurement from sectors such as public and private institutions, academia, and legal practice’.
Members of the expert group are appointed for a period of three years, after which a single renewal of the three-year membership is possible. Please keep in mind that the selection procedure for this expert group is very competitive.
Should anybody in your organisation be looking to apply, SGI Europe’s General Secretariat can assist you with the application.
More information can be on the DG GROW website here.
Contact: Ruben Sansom
On 24 August, the European Commission launched a call for feedback regarding the interim evaluation of investments in the transport sector within the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) 2021-2027 fund. This initiative aims to gather insights from stakeholders on the effectiveness and efficiency of CEF's use in the transport sector. The deadline for submission is 24 September 2024.
The CEF 2021-2027 program was established to enhance trans-European networks in transport, energy, and digital sectors. Specifically, in the transport sector, CEF2 supports projects of common interest to improve cross-border connectivity by addressing bottlenecks and filling in missing links. The program also focuses on modernising infrastructure by developing alternative fuel sources, improving digitalisation, and enhancing road safety.
In previous meetings of the Transport Task Force, members highlighted the importance of having a dedicated CEF for the transport sector, ensuring that targeted public financial support is available to achieve the EU's mobility goals. SGI Europe intends to submit feedback to the Commission, stressing the importance of such a tailored funding scheme while identifying areas for potential improvement.
The collected feedback will contribute to the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) evaluation. Members are encouraged to submit their comments to SGI Europe by 13 September.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 3 September, Eurofound published a research report on regional employment change and the geography of telework following the COVID-19 pandemic. The report states that the recovery and resilience of EU regions’ employment rates and growth have significantly differed depending on their economic specialisation and the concentration of jobs in knowledge-intensive services that can be performed remotely.
This report provides evidence on recent employment dynamics across EU regions, focusing on how patterns of sectoral specialisation and potential for remote work may have contributed to the resilience of capital regions and mainly urban regions to the COVID-19 crisis. The report also investigates the key role of telework in providing a buffer against the employment shock caused by the pandemic, as well as telework’s continued importance in post-pandemic recovery from a regional perspective.
Key messages from the report include that telework has the potential to decouple economic specialisation from the place of work, that fast internet connectivity is the cornerstone of telework and that initiatives that support remote work in rural areas, together with investments in infrastructure and public services, have the potential to drive the social and economic regeneration of these communities.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
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