TSS: SGI Europe highlights the need for high-quality, accessible and affordable services of general for EU’s resilience and preparedness

On Wednesday 22 October 2025, 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, Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, and Kaare Dybvad Bek, Danish employment minister.

Addressing for the last time the Tripartite Social Summit, Pascal Bolo, SGI Europe President, said:

"Since 2021, I have had the honour of representing SGI Europe. Over the years, I have seen a Europe that has been put to the test, but has remained determined to grow stronger. The pandemic, the impacts of the war in Ukraine and geopolitical tensions have profoundly disrupted our economic and social balances. They highlighted how much European stability depends on our ability to protect citizens, to respond quickly and maintain territorial cohesion. In each of these crises, services of general interest were the ones that made the EU resilient."

"Making the Union stronger means preparing it for a more unstable world. This requires modern, interconnected infrastructures capable of resisting climatic, health or security shocks. We need to protect and invest in our critical infrastructure to ensure Europe’s preparedness."

"Over the course of my mandate, I have measured how essential the EU social dialogue is to maintain trust and build sustainable solutions. The Tripartite Social Summit was a forum where, despite the crises, social partners and institutions exchanged respectfully and responsibly. This method must continue, as it embodies what Europe does best: turning consultation into action."

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

“As SGIs are what keep Europe stable and connected, we invite the Commission and the Council to make these services a genuine European policy priority. We now need to ensure that Europe avoid working in silos and ensures that the development of SGIs moves in the same direction to ensure accessible, high-quality services of general interest in every territory.

"Essential services play a key role in Europe’s cohesion and resilience: we call to now integrate this perspective throughout the EU policy and investment framework in future initiatives and ensure accessible, high-quality SGIs everywhere as the foundation for a strong and fair Union.”