SGI Europe at the Tripartite Social Summit: “We must reorient all our tools towards strategic policies for succeeding in the twin transition”

On Wednesday 22 March 2023, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, and Valeria Ronzitti, General Secretary, addressed the Tripartite Social Summit in the presence of Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, Charles Michel, President of the European Council, and Ulf Kristersson, Swedish Prime Minister.

Taking the floor in the opening round, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, said:

“Facing emerging global challenges, the EU level is the only one relevant to give a new impetus to a competitive European economy based on strategic investments. We must now reorient all our tools, such as the Single Market and European economic governance, towards strategic policies for succeeding in the environmental and digital transitions."

"It is crucial to accelerate the deployment of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans. SGI Europe welcomes the integration of the RePowerEU chapters to strengthen funding for the green transition, but major weaknesses must still be addressed. Many SGI sectors continue to report shortages of skilled staff, directly threatening their transformation. The EU Year of Skills will be crucial to improve our understanding and address this issue."

"The consensus reached last Tuesday at the ECOFIN on the review of the EU economic governance must pave the way for a new set of rules, with an increased focus on multiannual debt and deficit reduction plans taking into account Member States plans for reforms and investments.”

In the moderated discussion, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, said:

“We must ensure the competitive transformation of all industrial sectors. SGI Europe welcomes the new recognition of public services and physical and social infrastructures as pillars of the EU long-term competitiveness. SGIs are however more than enabling elements; they are also key actors. This starting point should open the reflection on what is best done and managed at EU level, what is the EU added value as well as the cost of non-Europe, ultimately leading to consider EU Public Goods as key element of Europe’s industrial policy.”

On the occasion of the TSS, SGI Europe also presented a joint declaration of the SGIs Network (available here) and the March 2023 Pulse of SGIs (available here).