World Public Service Day 2026: Strong public services are the foundation of EU’s future

As the EU pursues ambitious goals in competitiveness, defence and strategic autonomy, CESI, as a trade union confederation representing public service unions across the continent, calls on policymakers to recognise that functioning public administrations, health care systems and emergency services are not costs to be minimised but essential investments in Europe's future. From health care professionals, frontline emergency workers and teachers to civil servants, their work underpins Europe's social cohesion, economic resilience and security.

Across Europe, public services are facing severe recruitment and retention challenges, together with shrinking rights when it comes to work standards. Labour shortages in health care, education and public administration threaten the quality and accessibility of services that citizens and businesses depend on. Addressing these shortages requires attractive working conditions, quality jobs and sustained public investment.

CESI stresses that the EU fiscal rules must enable Member States to invest in quality public services and their workforces, where this will pay off both socially and economically in the long run. The next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) must support stronger public investment and help ensure resilient public administrations across Europe.

At the same time, digitalisation and artificial intelligence offer significant opportunities to improve public service delivery and reduce administrative burdens. However, as highlighted in recent EU initiatives to simplify procedures and strengthen administrative capacity, including the implementation of recommendations stemming from the Niinistö Report, technology must be deployed to support workers in their service delivery, and not replace human-centred public services.

Europe must also do more to improve the attractiveness of public-sector careers for young people. This requires fair pay, career development opportunities, modern working environments and meaningful social dialogue. In this regard CESI places high expectations in the EU’s Quality Jobs agenda and calls for the forthcoming Quality Jobs Act and Delivery Act to strengthen the capacity of public employers to attract and retain skilled workers.

Reducing unnecessary bureaucracy is important, but administrative simplification must go hand in hand with investing in the people and institutions that deliver public services. Europe cannot achieve its economic, social and security objectives without strong public administrations and a motivated public-sector workforce.

Otto Aiglsperger (Eurofedop), President of the CESI’s Expert Commission ‘Public Administrations’, said: “On the occasion of today’s World Public Service Day, we call on European and national decision-makers to place public services and their workers at the heart of Europe's future.”

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