7 November 2025
SGI Europe has responded to the European Commission’s public consultation on the revision of the SGEI Decision, the State aid rules for SGEI, with the main aim of facilitating investments in affordable housing. SGI Europe response, based on membership consultation, reaffirms the strategic role of SGEI as instruments for competitiveness, social progress and the twin transition, and asks for the revision to be part of a broader strategy enabling investment in services of general interest supporting Europe’s strategic goals.
SGI Europe supports the Commission’s efforts to reduce administrative burdens also in the SGEI Decision revision. In particular, eliminating the requirement to cite the Decision in each entrustment act when the rest of the compatibility conditions are met is highly welcome. Raising the general compensation threshold is also an appropriate and overdue measure that will help reduce the number of notifications and correctly reflect inflation trends. To ensure the lasting effect of this change, SGI Europe calls for the thresholds to be periodically adjusted for inflation in the future.
Regarding the new rules on affordable housing, they reflect the growing need to address housing shortages and support middle-income households in some Member States. However, SGI Europe underlines that definitions and rules on affordable housing should not be overly prescriptive. It is essential to respect the principle of subsidiarity to ensure that these new rules do not undermine well-established and effective housing models already in place in Member States.
The Commission plans to adopt the revised SGEI Decision in December 2025, as part of a Housing package that will also include the European Affordable Housing Plan.
Contact: Raquel Carro-Andollo
On 6th November, SGI Europe adopted and submitted its position paper, "Strengthening a Resilient and Circular Infrastructure of Services of General Interest (SGIs)," as a key contribution to the European Commission’s public consultation on the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act (CEA).
The EU's ambition to accelerate the circular transition requires a foundational shift, and SGI Europe asserts that the infrastructure and services provided by Services of General Interest, including in sectors like water, waste, postal services, telecommunication and energy, are absolutely central to achieving this goal. SGIs are not merely consumers of materials but are powerful enablers of the circular economy, transforming waste into resources and delivering essential services that support a resource-efficient and sustainable future for all European citizens.
The position paper provides a clear framework for EU policymakers to follow and to fully unlock the potential of a circular SGI landscape; the upcoming CEA must commit to clear, supportive policies that enable systemic investment. A crucial element is the protection of the "freedom to stay" principle, ensuring equitable access to high-quality, resilient services across all territories and actively preventing a "two-speed Europe".
Key demands to the Commission include:
The transition towards a truly circular economy within the European Union is inextricably linked to the strategic development and integration of SGIs' circular infrastructure. SGIs, as the indispensable backbone of European society and economy, are uniquely positioned to drive this transformation across critical sectors. To fully unlock this potential, EU policymakers must commit to clear, supportive frameworks that address current barriers and champion enablers within the upcoming EU Circular Economy Act.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 6 November 2025, SGI Europe took part in the European Commission’s hearing with European social partners on the forthcoming Fair Labour Mobility Package, which is expected to be presented in the third quarter of 2026. The initiative will shape the next phase of EU action on cross-border mobility, social-security coordination and enforcement.
In its intervention, SGI Europe welcomed the Commission’s efforts and stressed that the package should make labour mobility simpler, clearer and more predictable for all actors. The priority should be to reduce administrative friction and improve legal certainty through better alignment between national and EU procedures. Digitalisation can bring real progress if it replaces, rather than duplicates, existing systems and is accompanied by practical guidance for employers and administrations.
SGI Europe underlined the importance of finalising the revision of the Regulations on social-security coordination to provide a stable legal foundation for future tools such as ESSPASS and EESSI and called for maintaining a clear distinction between labour-law and social-security competences.
SGI Europe recognised the European Labour Authority’s valuable role in strengthening cooperation and building administrative capacity, while noting that consolidation of its current functions should come before any expansion. The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to engage constructively to ensure that the Fair Labour Mobility Package delivers practical simplification, stronger cooperation and greater legal clarity across the single market.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On Monday 3 November 2025, a delegation of SGI France members, composed of representatives from Caisse des Dépôts, EDF, SNCF, RTE and FedEpl, organised a visit to Brussels to meet with European Commission representatives and MEPs. SGI Europe's general secretariat was also represented.
The delegation first met with Mr Pierre Schellenkens, Director of Strategy and Coordination at the European Commission's DG ENERGY. This was an opportunity to discuss several topics of importance to SGI France members, but also to the SGI Europe members overall, such as the Post 2030 Framework, SGI Europe position paper on Security & Preparedness, electrification (industry and mass market), but also the revision of the ETD Directive and the implications of the Clean Industrial Deal on electricity networks.
The delegation then met Nathalie Berger, Director of Competitiveness Coordination at the European Commission's DG GROW. Responsible for the revision of the public procurement directives, the timely discussions were very interesting following the launch, on Monday 3 November, of the consultation and the publication of the EU Commission Work Programme 2026, announcing a Public Procurement Act before June 2026. This was an opportunity to convey key messages on a cross-cutting issue that is at the heart of SGI Europe's work.
Finally, the delegation met with MEP Fabienne Keller, a RENEW group member in the European Parliament, quaestor and shadow rapporteur on the Multiannual Financial Framework. All participants took this opportunity to take stock of the progress of the debates on the subject in the European Parliament, as well as the steps to come. This is yet another key issue for the future of the European Union, and one to which SGI Europe's members are fully committed.
Contact: Benoît Cassorla
On Wednesday 5 November, SGI Europe Vice-President Milena Angelova hosted a crucial follow-up event on Blue Diplomacy and Water Cooperation at the EESC. The high-level dialogue was a direct continuation of the recently adopted EESC opinion, for which Ms Angelova served as the Rapporteur. The event convened institutional partners, including the member of the Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall, Pernille Weiss-Ehler, MEP Kristian Vigenin (S&D, BG), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), highlighting the broad engagement on this issue.
Ms Angelova emphasised the critical need to address water as a fundamental right, underscoring the urgency of ensuring accessible, qualitative, and quantitative water resources for all. The EESC opinion stresses that water is "not a mere commodity but a public good essential to human life," making easy, affordable access to WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) imperative.
SGI Europe highly applauds the EESC's initiative for its crucial importance. We underline once more that the key to access to good water is through prevention measures first, before end-of-pipe solutions. This proactive, sustainable approach is essential to mitigate climate-induced migration pressures and effectively reduce costs on Services of General Interest (SGIs) and households. The follow-up event was built on the EESC's own-initiative opinion, "Blue diplomacy and water cooperation – solutions to relieve the pressure of climate-induced migration," which was formally adopted on September 18, 2025. Key recommendations of the opinion include adopting a single definition of climate-induced migration at the EU level and extending the scope of the Temporary Protection Directive to cover those fleeing countries heavily affected by climate change and disasters.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
Join us, stay informed
Subscribe to have all the latest news and developments delivered straight to your inbox.