During an online ceremony in the presence of European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis, MEPs Brando Benifei, Anna Cavazzini and Eva Maydell, SGI Europe revealed its new name and identity. The European Centre of Employers and Enterprises providing Public services and SGIs (CEEP) is now named SGI Europe.

Founded in 1961 as the ‘Centre Européen des Entreprises Publiques’, SGI Europe is the sole cross-sectoral association representing providers of Services of General Interest at EU level.

Opening the ceremony, SGI Europe President Pascal Bolo explained:

“Both our society and our economy have dramatically changed since 1961. Our membership, too, has evolved. While remaining central in every citizen’s lives, at many levels, public services and services of general interest are now very different.

In its early days, our family was mainly composed of big national enterprises – such as SNCF, EDF or GDF in France; Electrabel and SNCB in Belgium; ENEL and ENI in Italy. In the 1990s, our membership grew in new and different directions: providers of public services and of services of general interest active at the very local level.

This renewed membership was a chance to complete and enrich our activities. Following the evolution of the society and of the economy, our membership has evolved, with a constant focus on the services provided, regardless of the ownership or the legal structure in place. SGI Europe therefore intends to represent ALL services of general interest at European level.”

More information on the activities and work of SGI Europe can be found on our new website: www.SGIeurope.org.