Today (15^th September 2021), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen presented her annual State of the European Union address (SOTEU) to the European Parliament plenary session.
 
Commenting this SOTEU address, Valeria Ronzitti, SGI Europe General Secretary, said:
 
“We welcome the ambition shown by President von der Leyen this morning in Strasbourg, based on the soul, the ideal and the necessary political will of the EU project as envisioned by Robert Schuman and the EU Pioneers. Coming from a broad range of sectors, services of general interest (SGIs) will be central to transform this vision into a tangible reality for citizens.”
 
“We now call for the EU leaders to further materialise this renewed approach by putting forward a new paradigm, relying on our social and our physical infrastructures which are instrumental to the resilience of the EU. To that aim, the proposal to relaunch the discussions on the EU economic governance review, including the Stability and Growth Pact, in the coming weeks and with the ambition to build a consensus by 2023, should further cement this new paradigm.”
 
“The quality of our infrastructures, our healthcare, social security and education systems are the enablers of the economic successes of the EU. Developing the fairness of our taxation systems should help to further increase the funding for our social infrastructures. We welcome the future proposals for a European Care Strategy, as well as a dedicated programme – ALMA – targeted at supporting NEETs to find temporary work experience in another Member State.”
 
“Further developing the European capacity to invest will be a crucial element to boost our strategic autonomy. Increased investment in our physical infrastructures should ensure that the EU can flourish by itself, without relying on external partners.”
 
“Developing our physical infrastructures should also ensure that the EU remains a leader in the fight against climate change. The EU Green Deal should become a true engine for future EU growth, respecting the environmental, the social and the economic dimensions, whilst pushing for the necessary coordination at the international level.”

You can find more on SGI Europe messages and priorities on our website: www.sgieurope.org.