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Europe

PSI is represented in Europe by the European Federation of Public Service Unions, based in Brussels. For more on our activities in this region, please see the EPSU website

You can also view a list of European affiliates or contact European regional offices

Big Four accounting for influence

11 July 2018

We pay our taxes, so why don’t corporations? This new report shows how the four main accountant firms are embedded in EU policy-making on tax avoidance, and concludes that it is time to kick this industry out of EU anti-tax avoidance policy.

The right to water is a fundamental human right. No life without water.

10 July 2018

PSI General Secretary, Rosa Pavanelli, took the floor at the UN High Level Political Forum during the first global review of SDG 6, water and sanitation, emphasising that, rather than promoting failed PPPs, the SDG process should look at public-public partnerships that are flourishing around the world.

SDG6: Water and sanitation are fundamental services, privatization is not a means of implementation!

10 July 2018

The ambition and breadth of the UN's Sustainable Development Agenda has been the object of both praise and ridicule. This report examines the challenges facing the implementation of SDG6, water and sanitation, and the bold strategies required to overcome them.

Sustainable development needs fundamental policy changes

09 July 2018

New York, 9 July 2018: “The world is off-track in terms of achieving sustainable development and fundamental policy changes are necessary to unleash the transformative potential of the SDGs.” Global civil society report assesses obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Report: Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018

09 July 2018

PSI is a partner of the Reflection Group on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and together with other civil society organizations and networks has produced the annual Spotlight Report assessing the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the structural obstacles in its realization.

Alternatives to PPPs – growing instances of de-privatization

09 July 2018

Extract from the Civil Society Report "Spotlight on Sustainable Development 2018" - the new global report assesses obstacles and contradictions in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

Public sector trade unions continue their struggle following rigged election in Turkey

06 July 2018

The Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK) has published a press statement on the general elections which were held in Turkey on 24 June 2018. Despite rigged elections, KESK, together with other unions, will continue to struggle for labour, trade union and human rights.

United Nations General Assembly High Level Summit on Large Flows of Migrants and Refugees

17 June 2016

On 19 September 2016, the United Nations General Assembly will hold a “High Level Summit on Large Flows of Migrants and Refugees” at the UN in New York. The summit will call for a Global Compact on responsibility-sharing for refugees, which includes a comprehensive response plan on refugees and the strengthening of the global governance of migration.

AöW Comments to the Draft Interim Technical Report on TSIA-TTIP

10 June 2016

In a letter to ECORYS Nederaland BV, the Alliance of Public Water Management (AöW), the representation of interests of public water management in Germany, submits its comments to the Draft Interim Technical Report on the Trade Sustainability Impact Assessment (TSIA) on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) between the EU and the USA.

Public ownership of the UK energy system – benefits, costs and processes

18 April 2016

A new report by Public Services International Research Unit (PSIRU) and the UK NGO We Own It, calls for a return to public ownership and management of key elements of the British energy system. The report builds on years of research that demonstrate the excess costs of privatization, the negative impact on energy workers and on UK households, and the distortions of UK energy policy.

Comments on Expert Group background note for the first meeting of the UN High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth

24 March 2016

PSI gave evidence to the United Nations High-Level Commission on Health Employment and Economic Growth in Lyon, France on 23 March 2016. PSI argued that public spending on public health was both a government obligation to ensure universal access to health care and an investment in economic growth.

Logos for the World Water Day (WWD) 2016

19 March 2016

Logos for the World Water Day 2016 are available for download in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese in both JPG and PDF format.

Development Cooperation

17 March 2016

PSI provided input to an assessment from the water justice network of development cooperation support for the implementation of human rights. Development partners, including the World Bank, have violated human rights, including with their conditionalities for private sector participation. We call for the suspension of grant and loan programs which implicitly or explicitly promote PPP schemes. The implementation of Sustainable Development Goal #6 on water and sanitation presents opportunities to improve the practices of development partners. We point to the examples of public-public partnerships (PUPs), which are gaining in popularity but have not received adequate support from development partners – in part, because PUPs are not-for-profit. We also call for more rigorous measures to ensure that all rights holders can participate in decision-making.