Background

 The European Commission is working since 1996 to define more precisely and to foster debate on Services of general interest. Since then, the debate have taken in account all services when it was first including only network industries such as telecom, transport, energy.

 The European Commission even published a specific communication on social services of general interest in April 2006 recognising that Social services need to be well protected in order to garantee access for all to these services. Social housing had been included in the Communication. CECODHAS have been very active in participating to the debate

News:

* call for proposal  "Promoting quality of Social Services of General Interest" deadline : 18/07/08
 

Main texts from the EU 

> Review of Single Market   (November 2007)

  > Communication of the Commission on SIG (november 2007) http://ec.europa.eu/services_general_interest/index_en.htm

> Communication on social services of general interest 

> Adoption of the Ferreira report on Social services of general interest by the Parliament ; see special news article in our March 2007 Newsflash

> Destan report: opinion of the Committee of the regions adopted in plenary in December 2006

> Hencks report : opinion of the CESE

Positions of CECODHAS

> CECODHAS position on the Communication SSIG positionssig_en1(November 2006)

> CECODHAS response to the Internal Market Review (March 2008)> EN