9 February 2024
On 5 February, SGI Europe – together with representatives of the EU cross-industry social partners – met with Maroš Šefčovič, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, and Nicolas Schmit, Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, to exchange views ahead of the presentation of the Commission recommendation for an EU 2040 climate target.
The meeting focused more broadly on the implementation of the EU Green Deal and how to successfully reach the milestone targets towards climate neutrality in 2050. This was a unique opportunity for SGI Europe to highlight a climate and energy transition which is socially and economically fair for all.
EVP Šefčovič strongly underlined his desire to further dialogue to reach that goal and completely remodel our socio-economic system to ensure an all-technology-inclusive approach. In that context, the Clean Transition Dialogues were established last year, with sessions already held on the hydrogen market and the heavy industry. The upcoming Clean Technology dialogues will address critical infrastructure (on electricity and gas networks), which SGI Europe will be part of.
Additionally, EVP Šefčovič presented six priority actions for the implementation of the EU Green Deal, putting a focus on the need to mobilise the Single Market to green the economy, build a new Industry Decarbonisation Deal to promote clean technology, improve public procurement, including more social criteria, a New Deal for Infrastructure builds a robust and sustainable grid infrastructure, Financing the Green Transition and lastly gaining Public Trust through transparency and delivering a better understanding of the green transition.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On Thursday 8 February, SGI Europe joined the high-level event “Reconnecting EU citizens with the Single Market and the specific role of SGEI”, organised in Liège by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. On this occasion, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, exchanged views with key stakeholders to discuss the contributions and challenges faced by SGI providers in the Single Market in the presence of Enrico Letta, in the context of the preparation of an independent report on the future of the single market.
Following opening speeches by Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgian deputy prime minister for Economy and Employment, and Dubravka Suica, European Commission Vice-President for Democracy and Demography, Valeria Ronzitti addressed a panel featuring MEP Pierre Larrouturou (S&D, FR), Oliver Röpke, President of the European Economic and Social Committee and Jan Willem Goudriaan, Secretary General of the European Federation of Public Service Unions.
On this occasion, Ms Ronzitti recalled the need to reconnect the development of the Single Market with the EU's economic, social, and cohesion policies. She also emphasised the critical role played by SGIs in the EU social and economic model, both as enablers and as actors of EU competitiveness. She also called for the next European Commission to feature a dedicated portfolio on Services of General Interest (in line with the application of the EU acquis on SGIs), as well as the need to continue the reflection on developing EU Public Goods in areas of common interest to reinforce the EU strategic autonomy.
Ahead of the conclusion of the report of Enrico Letta (scheduled to be presented during the European Council of March 2024), SGI Europe will continue to engage to ensure that the specific role of SGIs is explicitly recognised in the final report, which should pave the way to future initiatives to transform the Single Market.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
SGI Europe was invited to speak in the first panel of the high-level conference “Gender Pension Gap & Pension Adequacy: Tackling Gender Inequality after Retirement”, organised by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU. The conference allowed taking stock of the gender pension gap (the difference in pensions between men and women) in Europe, which reached 29,5% in 2019 (EU average). Caused by various inequities in the Labour market, the gender pension gap leads to a higher risk of poverty for women in old age.
One of the objectives of the Belgian Presidency is to launch a multidisciplinary and long-term approach to address the Gender pension gap at all levels. For this purpose, the conference brought together EU and national decision-makers and multidisciplinary experts.
SGI Europe joined the opening panel of the conference, during which the European Commission, EU social partners and NGOs exchanged views to build consensus on the urgent need to tackle the gender pension gap and consider what should be done to improve the labour market participation of women. Key elements identified in this context include the importance of affordable, accessible and quality care services and the need for a more equal sharing of caring responsibilities. Tackling horizontal and vertical segregation will also be crucial, emphasising improving working conditions and recognising workers in health and social care services, the importance of a more balanced take-up of family leave between women and men and the added value of flexible working arrangements.
Contact: Guillaume Afellat
On 6 February, the European Commission published its communication "Securing our future: Europe's 2040 climate target and path to climate neutrality by 2050 building a sustainable, just and prosperous society". Calling for a net reduction target of 90% by 2040, this communication sets a new intermediary target to ensure climate neutrality in the EU by 2050. An impact assessment also accompanies the document.
With this communication, the European Commission starts a consultation process that should lead to setting the 2040 climate target. The debate will involve EU stakeholders, member states, EU political institutions and citizens on how to realise the climate transition. It will task the next Commission, which will take office after the EU elections, with putting forward legislative proposals for a 2040 climate target.
SGI Europe welcomes the signal sent by the European Commission on the need to successfully implement the EU climate targets and remodel the EU economy towards more sustainability. SGIs will be instrumental in keeping that balance. In that context, SGI enterprises need long-term predictability, stable investments, and a coherent legal framework more than ever.
The communication also strongly emphasises that the transition towards climate neutrality can only be materialised through an inclusive strategy built around a structured dialogue with crucial economic and social partners. As EU cross-industry social partners, SGI Europe calls for the European Commission to start the structural dialogue with the EU social partners immediately, as proposed in the communication.
Contact: Henriette Gleau
On 6 February, the Council presidency and the European Parliament struck a deal for provisional agreement for replacing the BCRD (broadband cost-reducing directive) with the GIA (Gigabit Infrastructure Act). The GIA is an essential piece of legislation for achieving Europe’s connectivity objectives and targets set out in the EU’s digital compass for this decade.
This regulation intends to speed up the deployment of the network and provide legal certainty and transparency for all economic actors involved. Besides, it supplies a more efficient planning and deployment process for public electronic communications networks. Despite the agreement maintaining the thrust of the Commission proposal, the co-legislators amended parts of the proposal, such as introducing a mandatory conciliation mechanism between public sector bodies and telecom operators to facilitate the permit-granting procedure and an exception for a transitional period for smaller municipalities.
However, the provisional agreement ensures that member states have broad autonomy in issuing stricter rules on several essential elements of this new regulation. The new law will apply 18 months after it enters into force.
Following the provisional agreement, technical work by experts of both institutions will continue with a view to submitting a compromise text to the co-legislators for endorsement. The Belgian presidency aims to present the text to member states’ representatives (Coreper) for approval as soon as possible.
Contact: Maxime Staelens
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