CELSIG

Comité Européen de Liaison sur les Services d'Intérêt Général
European Liaison Committee on Services of General Interest
Europäisches Verbindungskomitee"Dienstleistungen von allgemeinem Interesse"

Français

NEW : Keeping the content of article III-122 in the future Treaty of the Union : the CELSIG writes to the EU presidency - Letter of 10th June 2007, French only

NEW : Draft of proposed law on Services of general economic interest. Download

To sign ETUC Petition "For high-quality public services accessible to all"

Founding Declaration of the CELSIG - EN - FR - DE

Who are we ?

Initiatives organised by the CELSIG

Books and publications

Who are we ?

The European Liaison Committee on Services of General Interest (CELSIG) was established at the First European Forum on Services of General Interest (organised on the initiative of the French association "Réseaux Services Publics") attended by nearly 200 participants in Brussels, on 25 and 26 November 1994 (Proceedings). Its aims are to promote a new understanding of services of general interest within the context of European integration which addresses the technological, economic, social and cultural changes in societies throughout Europe. It is open to all who are engaged in economic and social activity in the European Union : institutions, operators, regulators, social economy organizations, trade union organizations, consumer organizations, environmental groups, anti-exclusion groups, researchers, academics, and so on
(Founding Declaration).

The CELSIG aims at increasing the exchange of knowledge and experiences at European level with all the actors concerned. It networks on the basis of flexible rules, members intervene as they wish, without committing or binding the organizations or institutions to which they belong. Secretariat is done by the association "Réseaux Services Publics".

The CELSIG developed a continuous activity towards the European institutions and played an important role in the adoption of the article 16 of the Treaty of Amsterdam, in the preparation of the communications from the Commission on "Services of general interest in Europe" (1996 and 2000), as well as in the introduction of article 36 in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. As years go by, and as a result of its very regular contacts with the various European institutions, the CELSIG is particularly consulted by these institutions on questions regarding services of general interest and, more widely, about general interest.

Since January 1997, the CELSIG edits twice a month a bilingual (French-English) News Letter, Nouvelles News Europe, dedicated to Services of General Interest in Europe (dowload the subscription form)

Main initiatives by the CELSIG

- in February 1996, on the occasion of the opening of the Intergovernmental Conference that was responsible for making propositions to modify the European Treaty, the CELSIG set up a working seminar in Brussels on the theme Public services, services of general interest and Intergovernmental Conference (Proceedings in French only) . It intended to bring together the various propositions concerning the revision of the Treaty and/or a European Charter and to put forward the problematics publics services/fundamental rights. The seminar helped to the preparation of the communication from the European Commission of September 1996 on "Services of general interest in Europe".

- in October 1996, in Brussels, the Second Forum on services of general interest (Proceedings in French only) brang together the various initiatives to write down a new article on services of general interest in the Treaty of Amsterdam (article 16).

- in December 1997, the Europea, seminar "Housing, a field of general interest ?"launched a reflexion on the place and role of housing to guarantee the exercice of fundamental rights and as a field of European general interest (Proceedings).

- in March 1999, before the European parliamentary elections, the European seminar on the theme Social cohesion and interregional solidarity. Towards European services of general interest intended to put forward the problematics of European services of general interest. Conclusions from this seminar resulted in the adoption of an "Address to candidates to the European elections", translated in the various languages of the Union and mailed to candidates in the every Member States (See NNE n°38).

- in March 2000, for the opening of a new Intergovernmental Conference and the launching of the Convention that had to prepare propositions for a European Charter of Fundamental Rights, the CELSIG organised, in the European Parliament in Brussels, a European seminar that intended to bring together propositions from various European actors and networks, in order to move on a further step towards the recognition and structuring of services of general interest in the European Union. The seminar resulted in propositions regarding : the modification of article16 of the Treaty to complete it ; the introduction in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of an article guaranteeing the right of access to services of general interest (article 36) ; the working out of a Charter on services of general interest ; the working out of a frame directive on services of general interest (See NNE n°53).

- in November 2001, the CELSIG organised, in Brussels, at the European Economical and Social Committee the Third Forum on services of general interest (Proceedings). The seminar lead to a "Letter to the European Council of Laeken" (2001,December) 

- as a contribution to the work of the Convention for the future of Europe in charge of working out the draft of a Constitutional Treaty for Europe, in June 2002, the CELSIG sent two proposals to the Convention (See NNE n°107). In December 2002, it organised, together with the CEEP, EPSU and the European Platform of Social NGO's, a conference on Services of general interest and the Convention which ended up with an Appeal to the Conventioneers.

- the 31st janvier 2003, it organised, at the European Parliament, , together with the CEEP and EPSU, an initiative on Services of general interest. The civic society questions the Conventioneers which ended up in an Address to the Conventioneers (See NNE n°122).

- in September 2003, the CELSIG answed to the European Commisssion's "Green Paper on Services of General Interest" (contribution and annex, only in French).

- on May 19, 2004, the CELSIG holds a European seminar at the European Economic and Social Committee, in Brussels, on "Services of general interest and cohesions: a European policy for services of general interest ". It ended up with a "Call to candidates to the European elections" (See NNE n°153). 

- on June 27, 2005, the CELSIG organised a public seminar "Wich Europe of Electricity" at the European Economic and social Committee (Proceedings).

- on June 28, 2006, the CELSIG adopted a draft for a "Proposed law on SEGI" (Download).

- on November 14-15, 2006, the CELSIG organised at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels a seminar "Promoting SGI for all - Which European legal framework ? ". This initiative aimed at identifying convergences among the five drafts from the civil society, and calling upon the Commission to prepare a proposal in this way as soon as possible. Summary of the seminar's work (at present, in French only).

Books and publications

Les Services publics au défi de l'Europe (Public services challenged by Europe), Pierre Bauby and Jean-Claude Boual, Editions Ouvrières, 1993, € 15. Only in French.

Pour une citoyenneté européenne, quel service public ? (Which public service for a European citizenship ?) Pierre Bauby and Jean-Claude Boual, Editions de l'Atelier, 1994, € 23. Only in French.

European Forum of social partners on Services of General Interest, 1995. Proceedings in English and French.

Publics services, services of general interest and Intergovernmental Conference, February 1996, and Second Forum on services of general interest, October 1996. Proceedings (Only in French).

Housing, a field of European general interest ? 1998. Proceedings in English, French and German.

Third European Forum on Services of General Interest 2001. Proceedings in English, French, German

Which Europe of Electricity ? 2005. Proceedings in English and in French.

Promoting SGI for all - Which European legal framework ? 2006 - Summary of the seminar's work (at present, in French only)