A New Paradigm: Towards a Renewed Understanding of SGIs

Executive Summary

• The corona pandemic is a challenge for countries worldwide. Within the European Union it is a proof for European solidarity. At the same time, it is exacerbating existing inequalities in Europe. The measures to be taken now will help shape Europe’s economic and social welfare in the coming years.
• This applies to a great extent to services of general interest (SGIs) that are provided or commissioned by public authorities. These so-called services of general interest are services whose provider is entrusted by a public authority with specific missions of general interest.
• Services of general economic interest are governed by Articles 14 and 106 (2) of the TFEU and by Protocol No. 26. With this opinion, SGI Europe puts forward seven theses for a new paradigm of SGIs and shows different approaches for a resilient Europe for all.
• In order to contribute to push further the reflection on what kind of economic growth is desirable and the need for new metrics to measure progress beyond GDP growth, SGI Europe engages a reflexion for a new paradigm and understanding of SGIs, along the seven following axes of work:
  • A renewed European understanding of services of general interest
  • A reworked definition
  • A coordinated legal framework for “temporary” SGIs
  • SGIs driven impact assessment
  • Public infrastructure checked against the Alert Mechanism Report
  • New financing methods for public services
  • A macro-economically coordinated programme for Europe