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28 May 2026: President Ingbert Liebing and General Secretary Valeria Ronzitti meet with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council

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On Thursday 28 May 2026, SGI Europe President Ingbert Liebing and Secretary General Valeria Ronzitti met with António Costa, President of the European Council, to discuss the priorities at the top of the EU agenda, and how the Freedom to Stay can help reconnect the Single Market with citizens, territories and enterprises across Europe. 

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Ahead of the upcoming meeting of the hashtag#EuropeanCouncil on 18-19 June and its focus on the next hashtag#MFF, SGI Europe calls for the Freedom to Stay to be recognised as a strategic European objective and reflected in:

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  • The next MFF 2028-2034

  • The forthcoming Right to Stay Strategy

  • The implementation of the One Europe, One Market agenda

  • The EU’s preparedness and resilience agenda

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Access to housing, transport, healthcare, education, energy, water, digital connectivity, postal services and decent job opportunities is not only a social concern. It is also central to Europe’s competitiveness, cohesion, resilience and trust in the European project.SGIs are the practical infrastructure of Freedom to Stay. They make territories liveable, attractive and resilient. They sustain local economies, quality employment, equal opportunities and social cohesion. They are also the basis of a resilient and well-prepared territory.

 

Competitiveness cannot be built only from already strong territories. It requires investment in the infrastructure and services that allow all regions to contribute to Europe’s prosperity. The Freedom to Stay should therefore become a top priority for the European Council, and services of general interest must be treated as essential infrastructure for Europe’s competitiveness, cohesion and resilience.

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