 Public services - known in European Union jargon as services of general interest (SGIs) or services of general economic interest (SGEIs) fulfil people’s daily needs and are vital to their wellbeing.

 The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) is a trade union organization which was established in 1973 to represent workers and their national affiliates at the European level.  Its role has increased as European integration has expanded EU influence on economic, employment and social policy throughout the 28 Member States.

 The quality of citizen’s lives depends on these services, which are essential for sustainable economic development and social and regional cohesion in Europe.  For this reason the ETUC regards universal access to public services to be a fundamental right, and a pillar of the European Social Model.

 services of the highest standard  accessible to everyone at an affordable price  subject to democratic control and accountability involving both consumers and workers in these crucial sectors.

 differ from other services in that public authorities have a responsibility to ensure their supply regardless of whether they are profitable in a free market.  difficult to define precisely because of variations between one Member State and another, but they cover, for example, water, energy supply and waste disposal, healthcare and social services, education and postal deliveries.

 The Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) specifically recognises that services of general economic interest have a public service mission that distinguishes from other commercial services within the single market.

 Article 86 (2) states: Undertakings entrusted with the operation of services of general economic interest or having the character of a revenue- producing monopoly shall be subject to the rules contained in this Treaty, in particular to the rules on competition, insofar as the application of such rules does not obstruct the performance, in law or in fact, of the particular tasks assigned to them. The development of trade must not be affected to such an extent as would be contrary to the interests of the Community.

 undertakings – poduzeća  revenue-producing monopolies - monopoli koji ostvaruju prihod  rules of competition – pravila o tržišnom natjecanju  in law or in fact – de iure ili de facto  to obstruct - sprečavati

 Poduzeća kojima je povjereno obavljanje usluga od općega gospodarskog interesa ili koja su po svojoj naravi monopoli koji ostvaruju prihod, podliježu pravilima sadržanima u ovom Ugovoru, a osobito pravilima o tržišnom natjecanju, i to u mjeri u kojoj primjena takvih pravila ne sprečava, de iure ili de facto, obavljanje posebnih zadaća koje su im povjerene. Na razvoj trgovine ne smije se utjecati u mjeri u kojoj bi to bilo suprotno interesima Zajednice.

 In its 2004 White Paper on services of general interest [[COM (2004) 374, ]], the Commission recognised that fulfilling a general interest mission takes precedence over the application of the Treaty competition rules, and that the personal nature of many social and health services implies obligations that are very different from those offered on a commercial basis.

 Europeans have come to expect high-quality services at affordable prices. Many of them even view general interest services as social rights that make an important contribution to economic and social cohesion. This is why general interest services are at the heart of the European model of society. There are, however, differences between one Member State and another and between one sector and another in the design, scope and organizational approaches of general economic interest services.

 Solidarnost i jednak tretman zajedno s otvorenim i dinamičnim tržišnim gospodarstvom fundamentalni su ciljevi Europske unije. Takvi se ciljevi sve više odnose i na gospodarske službe od općeg interesa. Ove službe imaju značajnu ulogu u svakodnevnom životu građana u Europskoj uniji. Organizacije koje obavljaju takvu službu u obvezi su pružati visokokvalitetnu uslugu po pristupačnim cijenama za sve korisnike. Premda se takve usluge pružaju u svim europskim državama, međutim, način na koji se one pružaju je različit ovisno o različitim uvjetima kao npr. geografska ograničenja, politička ili upravna struktura, povijest i tradicija.

 Solidarity and equal treatment within an open and dynamic market economy are fundamental European Union objectives. Such objectives are furthered by services of general interest. These services have an important place in the daily life of European citizens. Organisations providing such services are obliged to provide high quality service at affordable prices for all users. Although such services are provided in all European countries, the manner inwhich they are provided differs with respect to different traditions such as, for example, geographic boundaries, political or administrative structure, history and tradition.