FIEC Newsletter – 18 Ιουνίου 2024

The 2024 European Elections are now behind us. Although the complete data from all the Member States is not yet available, preliminary figures (see below table and image) suggest an estimated turnout across the EU of 51% (similar to the turnout in 2019). 19 of 27 countries have finished counting (updated info at 15h20 CEST of 17 June).EPP (European Popular Party), S&D (Socialists & Democrats), Renew Europe (RE) and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) got the highest number of votes and according to the projections could jointly have a majority.

Seat projections will continue to be updated and published on this official website where you will also find national results, useful updated graphs and visuals of seats by political group and country, the breakdown by national parties and political groups, and turnout. You will also be able to compare results and check majorities. All national parties without a current official affiliation and not part of “Non-attached” in the current EP are assigned to a holding category called “Others”, regardless of their political orientation.

Between 18 June and 15 July, the new political groups will be definitively formed, before the inaugural session fo the European Parliament that will be held between 16 and 19 July. During this 1st plenary meeting, the chair, vice-chairs and quaestors will be elected. The composition of standing committees and subcommittees will be defined between 22 and 25 July as well as the appointment of the offices.According to the provisional calendar, the first will be of the European People’s Party (EPP) group (today, 18 June), followed by the Greens/Ale (19 June). The following week  will host 4 more meetings: the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and The Left (both on 25 June), while Renew Europe and the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) will gather on 26 June. The Identity and Democracy (ID) group will close on 3 July with its constituent meeting.

On 16 July, MEPs will vote on the leadership of the European Parliament, including the President. Later in the year, MEPs will vote to elect the new President of the European Commission (EC), nominated by the Heads of States and Government of the 27 Member States. The EP will then organise hearings with the proposed Commissioners to assess their suitability for their proposed portfolios. This will be followed by a plenary vote where MEPs will have to decide whether to approve the composition of the EC as a whole.

On 27 June, the European Labour Authority (ELA) is organising its Annual Conference that will mark the 5-year anniversary of ELA and the 30 years of EURES (European Employment Services).The conference will take stock on the work done so far and reflect on important topics for ELA to make labour mobility more effective and fair such as: better enforcement driven by data, enhancing labour mobility, cooperation on digitalisation, the free movement of the labour force in Europe and the future of EURES.

Register at this link.

On 11 June in Berlin, FIEC Director General, Domenico Campogrande, intervened in the conference on “Resilience, Reconstruction, Prosperity: Perspectives for Ukraine’s Economy” as guest speaker. The event was organised by the “Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung” together with the London School of Economics and the Kyiv School of Economics.The main aims of this conference were to discuss ways in which Ukraine’s immediate economic needs, strategies for reconstruction and its long-term economic perspectives can be aligned, to build networks among thinkers, decision-makers, stakeholders and to promote creative thinking about how to reach the shared goal of achieving a prosperous, stable, socially just and democratic future for Ukraine.

For FIEC this has been a good opportunity to promote the “Memorandum of Understanding” signed with the European Federation of Building and Woodworkers (EFBWW) on the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine.

On 17 June, the Member States in the EU Council formally adopted the Nature Restoration Law, paving the way for its publication in the EU’s Official Journal. The adoption in the EU Council triggered some turmoil within the Austrian federal government because the Austrian Minister voted in favour of the law, against the position of her own Government.It is the first piece of legislation of its kind on nature restoration. The law aims to put in place measures to restore at least 20% of the EU’s land and sea by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

It sets specific, legally binding targets and obligations for nature restoration in each of the listed ecosystems – from terrestrial to marine, freshwater and urban ecosystems.

For urban areas, the Member States will have to ensure that there is no net loss of urban green spaces and tree canopy cover by the end of 2030 is also among the key measures of this new law.

Overall, many of our demands have been retained, in particular the fact that socio-economic interests must be taken into account when drawing up national restoration plans. This has been a priority for FIEC from the outset.

However, some of our member federations are still opposed to the law and therefore continue to lobby at their national level, in order to ensure that the business environment for construction companies does not deteriorate.

EU-OSHA launched the new priority area of the “Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age” campaign. After the digital platform work, EU-OSHA will focus its activities on the automation of tasks in the digital age.EU-OSHA explains that employing advanced robotics and artificial intelligence to automate tasks is becoming more and more common in EU workplaces. Indeed, it allows workers to delegate mundane and risky activities for enhanced safety and skill development. However, the automation of tasks brings with it a number of challenges such as overreliance, loss of autonomy and the need for training to upskill and reskill workers.

FIEC is a partner of the “Safe and Healthy Work in the Digital Age” campaign.

The activities of State-Owned construction Enterprises (SOEs) from third countries in and around the European Union have been a growing concern over the last decade. Recent examples of public works contracts awarded to SOEs at prices that appear abnormally low demonstrate the need for a comprehensive EU strategy to promote a level playing field and fair competition.

In recent years, FIEC has repeatedly taken initiatives to raise awareness of this issue and to promote a level playing field in the EU.

Together with its partners (EIC, EuDA and UNIFE), in 2021, FIEC launched an interactive website on the activities of third country State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in the European Public Procurement market.

The website was last updated on 11 June. The update includes the addition of a case in Croatia, where a Chinese SOE submitted a significantly lower bid than its European competitor for the construction of a new motorway section.

To access the Interactive Map on SOEs in Europe: