9 April 2021
On 7 April, SGI Europe submitted its response to the first stage consultation of the European social partners on how to improve the working conditions for people working through digital labour platforms. Developed with members, SGI Europe's response lays out our first comments on a possible future EU initiative on platform work.
SGI Europe stresses in its response that “platform work” covers many different realities. There is no uniform labour market that can be called “platform work”. This significant diversity is the proof that a one size fits all approach should not be applied to “Platform work”. It is important to also recognise that the Covid-19 has unveiled the significant role the platform economy and new forms of work relying on digitalisation, in maintaining an economic and work activity, even in times of crisis.
Nevertheless, SGI Europe also recognises the challenges which may come with a certain type of platform work and it is important to be aware of issues such as income and working conditions, health and safety issues, access to social protection, qualification and bargaining, when relevant, to tackle unfair competition. EU actions could be justified but it needs to respect the subsidiarity principle to allow for the sufficient margins of manoeuvre and to adapt to the diversity of platform work in the different Member States.
For SGI Europe and its members, it is crucial that the definition of the status of the people that perform work on digital platforms –and whether they are to be seen as employees or self-employed – remains at the national level in the hands of the Member States, national social partners or national courts. If the platform worker is defined nationally as an employee there is a comprehensive body of legislation applicable. Therefore, the EU action should be restricted to the non-employees who are in a weaker position regarding working conditions and where there might be gaps in their protection.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
Together with its members from HOSPEEM (European Hospital and Healthcare Employers’ Association), EFEE (European Federation of Education Employers), Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations, and Local Government Denmark, SGI Europe will attend a dedicated hearing on micro-credentials and individual learning accounts organized by the European Commission on 15 April.
Learning models based on micro-credentials and individual learning accounts represent an important opportunity to increase tailored professional learning and adapt it to the labour market realities and speed, improving skills matches and reducing shortages, whilst providing unique skills intelligence benefiting both employers and employees.
SGI Europe highlights the importance of quality assurance for micro-credentials through a commonly agreed definition and accessible minimum levels of standards and transparency that all providers should respect. Ensuring micro-credentials portability and recognising the learning outcomes will play an essential role for employees in communicating their skills and for employers in understanding and comparing credentials.
It is also important to address the barriers regarding the take-up of micro-credentials and individual learning accounts, including broadening the institutional employment support, educational infrastructure, and the lack of professional guidance. Additionally, it is necessary to address the accessibility limits of such tools, including the cost-sharing, training entitlements, and the relevance of the training offer.
Contact: Stefan Enica
As part of the Renovation Wave package, the European Commission aims to review the Energy Performance in Buildings Directive (EPBD) to boost the energy renovation of buildings and make it fit in supporting the target for a 55% greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2030. In that context, a public consultation is now open until 22 June to improve the regulatory and financing tools and policy recommendations to reach the goal of at least doubling the annual energy renovation rate of buildings by 2030.
Building up on our position on the Renovation Wave, SGI Europe has responded to the previous impact assessment on the EPBD, which can be accessed here. We expressed our support for an ambitious renovation, whilst ensuring a fair and climate efficient decarbonisation transition in buildings. Additionally, SGI Europe has prepared respective positions on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive II (REDII) and the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), which both have important elements to consider in the revision of the EPBD.
SGI Europe strongly believes that the “Energy Efficiency First” principle is not the most cost-effective measure for buildings and does not lead to prioritising the most important actions for climate. Therefore, SGI Europe recommends that the EPBD and the EED revision should focus on promoting a “climate-efficiency centric approach”, addressing both GHG emissions and energy consumption, and with more ambitious targets on carbon than on energy efficiency.
Building up on those key messages, SGI Europe will respond to the public consultation.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
The European Commission started the revision process for the EU rules on market access for gas networks via a public consultation until 18 June. The aim is to build a new EU Gas Package that will contribute to the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets and support the wider roll-out of renewable energy and decarbonised gases by creating rules to facilitate their market entry and remove undue regulatory barriers.
In this context, SGI Europe is convinced that an all-inclusive approach, in which all sectors work closely together, is necessary to reach climate neutrality by 2050. Developing a sustainable gas and electricity market will be key to this goal. A further electrification of the system, especially when it comes to individual mobility (cars) and heating/cooling is important and beneficial but will not be enough to meet the new emission reduction targets of 55% by 2030. It is especially true for heavy-duty transportation and in some industrial processes. Moreover, for cooling and heating, electricity will also not be sufficient, particularly in urban areas where district heating and cooling systems play an important role.
As a general principle, SGI Europe supports that the decarbonisation process in the energy sector must be cost-efficient for all sustainable technology types. Therefore, sector integration and sector coupling must play a greater role in European policies. As underlined in SGI Europe’s position on sector integration, stronger connections must be made between the electricity sector and other sectors such as heating, transport, industry and gas. For the latter, innovative technologies such as Power-to-Gas (P2G) will link the sectors together. In this respect the existing distribution gas infrastructure (DSOs) will likely play an important role, especially in reaching the goals in a cost-efficient way.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
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