SGI Europe - Activity Report 2023

Activity Report

SGI Europe in 2023

START

2023 in Review

Social Affairs Board

Sustainability Board

Internal Market Board

Projects

Annexes (including sections and presidential team)

2024 in Review

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2023 in Review

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Publication of 28 press releases and 44 weekly Newsflashes

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Social Affairs Board

Michael DE GOLS

Jeanette GRENFORS

Vice-Chair (Benelux)

Chair (Sweden)

Urban SIEBERTS

Elvira GENTILE

Vice-Chair (Germany)

Vice-Chair (Italy)

Board meetings: 5 February, 18 March, 23 April, 18 June, 24 September, 26 November

Social Affairs Board

Main Activities

Inputs to the European Commission to the hearings and consultations of the EU Social partners on:

• Hearing on the future Commission Action plan to address labour and Skills shortages 21 February 2024
• Hearing on the Council Recommendation on fair transitions towards climate neutrality on 22 May 2024
• Response to the first stage consultation on a possible action in the area of telework and workers’ right to disconnect - 25 June 2024
• Opinion: Proposal of the Commission to takes action to improve the quality of traineeships in the EU - 1 October 2024

Social Partners conferences

• Social Partner conference on Youth Employment - 14 March 2024
• Final Conference on the Implementation of the Framework Agreement on Digitalisation and Support for social Dialogue - 23 May 2024

• Negotiation and adoption of the “Tripartite Declaration for a Thriving European Social Dialogue” on 31 January during the Val Duchesse Social Partner Summit organised by the European Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council. The Declaration stands for a renewed commitment to strengthen social dialogue at EU level and to join forces in addressing key challenges in the EU economy.
• Negotiation and adoption of the “La Hulpe declaration” during the La Hulpe Social Summit of 15 April 2024 organised by the Belgian Presidency of the Council. The declaration aims to set the future social agenda for the 2024-2029 period and reaffirm the European pillar of social rights as the guiding compass for EU social policy in the coming years.
• Negotiation of the Pact for social dialogue between the EU Social Partners, resulting in the official signature of the Pact for social dialogue on 5 March 2025.
• Preparations of SGI Europe key messages and speaking points for the Tripartite Social Summits of 20 March and 16 October and the informal EPSCO Councils of 10-12 January (Namur, Belgium) and 9-10 October (Budapest, Hungary)

Macroeconomics Task Force

Jan DOMANSKI

Tor HATLEVOLL

Chair, Macroeconomics Task Force (Sweden)

Vice-Chair, Macroeconomics Task Force (Poland)

Reinhold RICKES

Cosimo PACCIANI

Vice-Chair, Macroeconomics Task Force (Italy)

Vice-Chair, Macroeconomics Task Force (Germany)

Task force meetings:21 February, 7 October, 10 December

Main Activities

• Participation in the meetings of the macroeconomic dialogue on 17 February and 9 October 2024 on “Strengthening the economic base: challenges and opportunities” and “Demographic challenges and the impact on competitiveness”
• Participation and definition of key messages for the Macroeconomic Dialogue at Political Level on 13 May and 4 November 2024
• Participation in the social partners’ consultation on the annual sustainable growth survey on 26 September
• Definition and lobby for SGI Europe’s key messages for the Social partners consultation on the European Semester

Social Protection Task Force

Johannes ISAKSSON

Klaus STÜRMER

Chair, Social Protection Task Force (Germany)

Vice-Chair, Social Protection Task Force (Sweden)

Task force meetings: 19 June, 4 December

Main Activities

• Drafting of the comments of the employers on the joint long-term care report of the SPC and the European Commission
• Preparation of the employers’ comments on the 2024 Social Protection Committee’s Pension Adequacy Report
• Drafting of the Position paper: SGI Europe’s comments on the Financial Data Access Regulation (FIDA)
• Preparation of the First Draft for the position paper of SGI Europe regarding the review of the IORP II- Directive planned 2025

Health & Safety Task Force

VET and Education Task Force

Pawel LANGOWSKI

Rossitsa STELIYANOVA

Chair, Health & Safety Task Force (Poland)

Chair, VET & Education Task Force (Bulgaria)

Main Activities

Main Activities

• Contribution to the Social Partners hearing on learning Mobility on 25 January 2023
• Contribution to the joint Employers’ Statement on Traineeships (April 2023)
• Participation in the high level of the European Alliance for Apprenticeship event on 26 June 2023
• Response to the two stages of the social partners' consultation on the revision of the quality framework for traineeships (October and November 2023)

• Follow-up of the work of the Advisory committee on health and safety on n the revision of the Workplace directive and on the Display screen equipment directive.
• Preparation of the input to the Employer’s group working party on Mental Health at Work in the context of the Commission’s communication for a comprehensive approach to Mental health.
• Support and contribution to the first stage response of SGI Europe to the social partners consultation on telework and right to disconnect

Sustainability Board

Stefan CHAYKOV

Alain TACCOEN

Vice-Chair (Bulgaria)

Chair (France)

Sebastian GONET

Lina FURCH

Vice-Chair (Germany)

Vice-Chair (Poland)

Board meetings: 15 February (jointly with the Internal Market Board), 21 September

Sustainability Board

Main Activities

• Preparations of SGI Europe Opinion on the EU 2040 climate targets 2040 and Position Papers on the Net-Zero Industry Act

• Coordination of SGI Europe activities in the Platform on Sustainable Finance 2.0, including the development of environmental criteria for circular economy and biodiversity protection and the preparation of feedback to the Platforms responses on:
• Taxonomy Delegated Acts (May),
• Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SFDR) (July),
• European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS) (July),
• EU taxonomy-aligning benchmarks (TABs) (December)

• Dedicated event on "EU Green Deal as a Growth Strategy: Contributions and expectations from SGIs at the heart of the transition" on 20 November 2023:
• Bilateral meeting with Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice-President in charge of the EU Green Deal, with Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, and Esther Lynch, ETUC General Secretary on the implementation of a fair EU Green Deal on 17 November 2023
• Bilateral meeting with Joaquim Nunes de Almeida, Head of Unit on the Net Zero Industry Act at DG GROW, the SGI Europe climate targets 2040 on 17 October 2023
• Participation to the public hearing of the European Economic and Social Committee public hearing on Green Collective Bargaining “Towards green collective bargaining in Europe: assessment of good practices and prospects" on 26 January 2023

Communications Task Force

Martine ALLAIRE

Dariusz PROSIECKI

Chair (France)

Vice-Chair (Poland)

Wouter GEKIERE

Vice-Chair (EBU)

Task force meeting: 8 March

• 8 March online call with digital Working Group on Fair Share within the context of the Broadband Regulation
• Follow up and monitoring on the Data Act (former PSI directive) EU Council level on the issue of the harmonised rules on fair access to and use of data (data act)
• Monitoring Cyber Resilience Act and Cyber Solidarity Act
• Following the discussions on AI regulation
• Monitoring the discussions on new ways of working (e-work, remote work) and its impacts on the SGI market

Energy Task Force

Elmar THYEN

Eleonora CAPACCIOLI

Chair (Germany)

Vice-Chair (Italy)

Philippe CLAVEL

Kristian DAHL-LARSEN

Vice-Chair (Norway)

Vice-Chair (France)

Task force meetings: 8 February, 31 May, 28 September and 23 October

• Task Force meeting in Stockholm, hosted by SALAR, with visit at Stockholm Exergi
• Position paper and proposals for amendments on Electricity Market Design
• Position paper on the Net-Zero Industry Act and SGI Europe recommendations to the trilogue on the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive
• Monitoring the final RED, EED and CBAM implementation phase
• Contribution to the SGI Europe Opinion on the Climate Targets 2040

Environment Task Force

Bernardo PICCIOLI

Janusz KARWOT

Chair (Italy)

Vice-Chair (Poland)

Task force meetings: 8 March, 22 May and 23 October

• Amendments to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, with a focus on the need to guarantee greater flexibility for Member States in transposing EU rules on packaging waste management
• One pager on the definition and impact of bio-plastics and compostable plastics
• Contribution to the impact assessment on the feasibility of including Watse-to-Energy installations (and other waste management processes) in the ETS
• Waste Framework Directive and the impact of different Textiles and the EPR scheme on SGIs.

Transport Task Force

Monika UNTERHOLZNER

Chair (Austria) (until December 2023)

Task force meetings: 7 March, 16 May and 7-8 November (in Vienna)

• Active participation in the European Commission Workshop on Multimodal Digital Mobility Service (MDMS)
• Meetings on the impacts of the energy crisis on the transport sector and on digitalisation and data sharing
• Task Force meeting in Vienna, with a focus on green freight mobility and onsite visits
• One-pager on Mobility Data Sharing highlighting key measures to improve sharing data flows to stimulate multimodality in Europe

Water Task Force

Michele FALCONE

Hans de GROENE

Chair (Italy)

Vice-Chair (The Netherlands)

Davide SCAGLIONE

Borislav VELIKOV

General Rapporteur (Italy)

Vice-Chair (Bulgaria)

Task force meetings: 8 March, 23 May and 14 December

• Implications of the EU Taxonomy on water supply and wastewater
• Active contribution to the high-level event of the European Economic and Social Committee "Call for an EU Blue Deal"
• Position paper on Sustainable Use on Pesticides
• Joint Statement on EPR scheme implementation with Eureau, Aquapublica Europea and Water Europe (and more)
• Position paper and proposed amendments on the revision of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive
• Monitoring the Sustainable Use of Pesticides, PFAS discussions, Nature Restoration Law
• A Zero Pollution Approach for SGIs: Polluter Pays Principle, Pesticides, UWWTD and EU Blue Deal

Public Services /Internal Market Board

Nadine FISCHER

Jaime CASTIñeIRA DE LA TORRE

Vice-Chair (Spain) (until December 2023)

Chair (Germany)

Luigi DEL GIACCO

Benjamin GALLEPE

Vice-Chair (France)

Vice-Chair (Italy)

Public Services /Internal Market Board

Meeting of the board: 15 February (in Madrid, with the Sustainability Board), focusing on the role of SGIs in modernising the EU economy, the 30 years of the Single Market and the priorities of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the EU

• Single Market at 30:
• Dedicated meeting with DG GROW and the Employers’ Group of the EESC
• Preparation of a position paper “SGIs in the Single Market”, published on 19 July 2023
• Contribution to the Letta Report on the Future of the Single Market:
• On 15 September 2023, Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister, was mandated by Spain, Belgium, and the European Commission to prepare a Report on the Future of the Single Market
• SGI Europe organised a dedicated hearing on 7 December with Enrico Letta, bringing together SGI Europe members, the partners of the SGIs Network, and also featuring Pierre-Yves Dermagne, Belgian Deputy-Prime Minister
• Review of the De minimis regulations: “De minimis regulation” and “SGEI de minimis Regulation”

• Digital policy:
• Continued monitoring of the implementation of the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act
• Long-term competitiveness and better regulation
• Meeting with the European Commission’s Secretariat-General on EU Competitiveness and Impact Assessment
• Participation of GS Valeria Ronzitti in the work of the Fit for Future Platform, including co-rapporteurship of the opinion on "Actions/methodology to avoid the build-up of unnecessary reporting obligations”
• Social economy: Preparation of the Fit for Future Opinion on Social economy
• Restructuring of the Board and refocus on key priorities

Projects

Labour INT 3

Accessible Climate-Conscious Essential Services (A.C.C.E.S.)

Conclusion of SPAM-COVID19 (with Malta Employers' Association)

Finance for the European Pillar of Social Rights (Finance4EPSR)

Annexes

National sections and sectoral federations

Presidential Team

Members of SGI Europe's National Sections

General Secretariat

SGI Europe Rue des Deux Eglises, 26 boîte 5 BE-1000 BruxellesBelgium

Photos: SGI Europe, European Union

Informal EPSCO of the Swedish presidency of the EU, May 2023

Informal EPSCO of the Spanish presidency of the EU, July 2023

“Future of Work and Social Dialogue” high-level event of the Spanish Presidency of the Council, September 2023

Bilateral meeting with EC President Ursula von der Leyen, March 2023

Porto Social Forum, May 2023

Social Europe Conference organised by the German Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs in Berlin, November 2023

EESC event “Call for an EU Blue Deal”, November 2023