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Sonae SGPS, S.A.

Sonae

Sonae SGPS is a multinational portfolio manager and the largest private employer in Portugal.

Lobbying Activity

Response to Report on the review of the Digital Decade Policy Programme

9 Jan 2026

You may find Sonae's position attached.
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Response to Strategy on Intergenerational Fairness

11 Nov 2025

You can find Sonae's position attached.
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Sonae urges EU to cut VAT on refurbished products

6 Nov 2025
Topic — European Commission consultation on the Circular Economy Act to promote sustainable production.
Message — Sonae calls for reduced VAT on refurbished goods to make sustainable choices affordable. They request harmonised end-of-waste criteria to eliminate the current patchwork of national rules. The organization also opposes financial sanctions for producers regarding national collection targets.12345
Why — This would lower operational costs by replacing 27 different national systems with one.6
Impact — Manufacturers of disposable goods face higher costs for redesigning products and sharing parts.7
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Response to EU Anti-Poverty Strategy

24 Oct 2025

You may find Sonae's position attached.
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Meeting with Hélder Sousa Silva (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Sept 2025 · Discutir a proposta da Comissão Europeia relativa aos novos recursos próprios, em particular o ‘Corporate Resource for Europe’ (CORE).

Meeting with Ana Vasconcelos (Member of the European Parliament)

30 Sept 2025 · Introductory meeting

Meeting with Paulo Cunha (Member of the European Parliament)

29 Sept 2025 · Energy

Meeting with Mario Nava (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion) and

7 May 2025 · SONAE presented the New Career Network (NCN) a digitally enabled, pan-European reskilling network and is seeking support from DG EMPL to transition the NCN into a European Union project and expand it across the EU.

Response to Standards for wireless recharging, electric road system and vehicle-to grid-communication of recharging infrastructure

30 Dec 2024

Sonae welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation on the proposals to adopt delegated and implementing regulations to pursue the adoption of the Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 (AFIR) concerning the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The topics covered in this consultation are vital for the effective transition to sustainable energy solutions across the European Union. The attached document highlights our key comments and observations regarding the delegated and implementing regulations, focusing on their feasibility, clarity, and potential impact on industry practices. We thank the European Commission for considering our input and look forward to ongoing collaboration to achieve the shared objectives of the AFIR.
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Response to Technical specifications related to the format, frequency and quality of data on alternative fuels infrastructure

30 Dec 2024

Sonae welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation on the proposals to adopt delegated and implementing regulations to pursue the adoption of the Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 (AFIR) concerning the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The topics covered in this consultation are vital for the effective transition to sustainable energy solutions across the European Union. The attached document highlights our key comments and observations regarding the delegated and implementing regulations, focusing on their feasibility, clarity, and potential impact on industry practices. We thank the European Commission for considering our input and look forward to ongoing collaboration to achieve the shared objectives of the AFIR.
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Response to Data types for alternative fuels infrastructure

30 Dec 2024

Sonae welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the public consultation on the proposals to adopt delegated and implementing regulations to pursue the adoption of the Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 (AFIR) concerning the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The topics covered in this consultation are vital for the effective transition to sustainable energy solutions across the European Union. The attached document highlights our key comments and observations regarding the delegated and implementing regulations, focusing on their feasibility, clarity, and potential impact on industry practices. We thank the European Commission for considering our input and look forward to ongoing collaboration to achieve the shared objectives of the AFIR.
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Response to Report on the first review of the EU-US Data Privacy Framework

6 Sept 2024

Sonae welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF). Please find our feedback in attachment.
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Response to Evaluation of the Common Fisheries Policy

7 Aug 2024

You can find the response to the public consultation in the attached document.
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Meeting with Maroš Šefčovič (Executive Vice-President) and

15 Apr 2024 · Meeting WEF CEO Action Group for the European Green Deal

Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Member of the European Parliament, Shadow rapporteur) and Booking.com B.V.

20 Oct 2023 · Directive on substantiation and communication of explicit environmental claims (Green Claims Directive)

Response to Revision of EU rules on textile labelling

8 Sept 2023

You can find enclosed Sonae's response.
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Meeting with Andrus Ansip (Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur) and APPLiA (Home Appliance Europe)

7 Sept 2023 · Green Claims

Response to Promoting sustainability in consumer after-sales

25 May 2023

Sonae is a multinational corporation that manages a large portfolio of retail, financial ser-vices, technology, fashion, wood-based panels, shopping centres and telecommunications businesses, creating value across various geographic areas. In relation to the Directive on Common Rules Promoting the Repair of Goods, Sonae welcomes the opportunity to participate in the public discussion, as well as the European Commissions vision to establish a culture of repair and reuse in Europe. Sonae recognises the relevance of repair services to achieve a circular economy model. As such, we are committed to reduce our environmental footprint and to promote a more sustainable and efficient use of resources. Thus, we welcome the overarching goals of this proposal and the EU Green Deals objective to promote a more sustainable and circular economy, as well as promoting the repairability and lifespan of products. Sonaes main considerations are: We welcome the proposed measures concerning the promotion of repairability as an accessible option for consumers. However, we highlight that the proposal should take into consideration the need to make repair services a technical and economic attractive option for businesses, as well. For that purpose, we suggest that the obligation to repair should be considered whenever technically possible and economically viable. Ensuring a well-balanced relation between the supported costs and the obligations defined in this proposal. Repair over Replacement We support the Commission proposal regarding the prioritization of repair over further ex-tending the legal guarantee period, but we believe that the proposal may clash with current EU Legislation. It is worth considering that the proposal may not be in line with the recent developments regarding the Sale of Goods Directive. In fact, the Sale of Good Directive reinforced consumer rights by establishing the replacement of goods within the first 30 days after purchase, making repair a second-best option. However, the Right to Repair proposal prioritizes repair over replacement. We suggest a better articulation between legal frameworks, to achieve a better repair and reuse culture. In addition, whenever replacement is the only possible solution, the possibility of substituting the good by a reconditioned product should be foreseen. Economic viability of repair Sonae supports the Commission proposal regarding the access to spare parts and repair-related information for repairers. However, it is important to highlight that the measure may fall short, since there is no mention to the price of spare parts in the proposal. In order to have accessible repair services, the price of spare parts should be fair and reasonable. The lack of clarity on the price of spare parts may undermine the economic viability of repair services. If the price is too high, we expect repair to not be a viable option for businesses and consumers, given the higher cost in comparison with replacement. In this sense, we believe that to ensure reasonable prices for spare parts, producers may benefit from incentives to lower their prices. Technical viability of repair It is our belief that equipments compliance with repairability requirements, such as a repair-friendly design or software is a fundamental step to achieve better repair services for the consumer. Original parts should work as intended on its respective equipment without the equipment having to go through brand validation software. This would further promote a more time and cost-efficient repair for both the consumer and the repairer. Additionally, the proposal would benefit from further clarification regarding what is under-stood as impossible to repair. Repairers Platform Finally, we support the Commissions proposal to establish an online platform for repairers, improving accessibility of repair services for consumers.
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Meeting with Maria-Manuel Leitão-Marques (Member of the European Parliament)

14 Mar 2023 · Barriers in the Internal Market

Sonae Supports Smartphone Ecodesign but Warns of Price Hikes

28 Sept 2022
Topic — EU initiative to ensure mobile devices are designed for energy efficiency and repairability.
Message — Sonae supports updating standards for durability and repairability. They request flexibility for future device models and specific exemptions for reconditioned goods.12
Why — Simpler device disassembly would increase productivity by reducing intervention times and costs.3
Impact — Consumers may face higher prices because of increased battery and display production costs.4
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Response to Debt equity bias reduction allowance (DEBRA)

29 Jul 2022

Sonae welcomes the opportunity to provide feedback to this public consultation. Please find our feedback in the attached document.
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Response to Sustainable corporate governance

23 May 2022

Sonae is a multinational company managing a diversified portfolio of businesses in retail, financial services, technology, real estate and telecommunications. We welcome the opportunity to share feedback about the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. Please find our feedback in the attached document.
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Meeting with Maria da Graça Carvalho (Member of the European Parliament)

1 Apr 2022 · Main legislative developments in terms of sustainability - right to repair products

Response to Promoting sustainability in consumer after-sales

22 Mar 2022

Dear Madam, Sir, You can find enclosed Sonae's position.
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Response to Revision of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive

8 Nov 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism

8 Nov 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Land use, land use change and forestry – review of EU rules

8 Nov 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001

8 Nov 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Revision of the EU Emission Trading System Directive concerning aviation

8 Nov 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Sustainable food system – setting up an EU framework

26 Oct 2021

Please find our comments in the attached file.
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Response to Restoring sustainable carbon cycles

6 Oct 2021

Sonae is a multinational corporation that manages a large portfolio of retail, financial services, technology, wood-based panels, shopping centres and telecommunications businesses, creating value across various geographical areas. In relation to the Green Deal, Sonae welcomes the European Commission's vision to set and increase the ambition of objectives relating to the environment and climate change. Sonae recognizes the relevance of the land sector to achieving a climate neutral economy. Even so, we believe that its potential is limited, and that without a strong development of industrial carbon capture processes, it will not be possible to achieve the proposed objectives in a fair and equitable manner for citizens. As such, we recognise the need to create, in a first stage, direct incentives for carbon capture and the adoption of climate-friendly practices, as well as the need to reduce emissions resulting from deforestation and the recovery of forests, wetlands and drained peatlands, and to improve forest management and agroforestry. However, the financing of these practices should be very carefully considered and the source - or sources - should be as harmless as possible to consumers. Sonae's main concerns are: - The need to create robust incentives for carbon capture and adoption of environmentally friendly practices beyond the CAP. - The need to provide the financing system for these good environmental practices with a market orientation. - The prevention of ecosystem conversion in order to optimise the possibility of carbon capture, with negative repercussions for biodiversity. - The importance of creating a regulatory framework that encourages Bioenergy Carbon Capture and Sustainable Use (BECCUS), Direct Air Capture (DAC) or other clean carbon capture, recycling or storage technologies. - The possible misuse of biomass and waste if incentives for their use are disproportionate.
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Meeting with Thierry Breton (Commissioner) and EuroCommerce and

15 Apr 2021 · Skills roundtable with the retail sector

Meeting with Nicolas Schmit (Commissioner) and

15 Apr 2021 · Pact for skills roundtable with the retail sector.

Response to Setting of nutrient profiles

4 Feb 2021

Sonae MC is the food retail branch of Sonae, a holding company based in Portugal. We are a leading food retailer and one of the largest private employers in Portugal. We have over 350 000 visits in our stores daily, we deal with over 2000 suppliers and we buy 365 million euros/year and 206 thousand tonnes from national producers. Please find our feedback in the attached document.
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Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit), Christoph Nerlich (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and European Round Table for Industry

28 Apr 2020 · Videoconference on the Skills Agenda

Response to Farm to Fork Strategy

14 Mar 2020

Sonae MC is the food retail branch of Sonae, a holding company based in Portugal. We are a leading food retailer, and one of the largest private employers in Portugal. We have over 350 000 visits in our stores daily, we deal with over 2000 suppliers and we buy 250 million euros/year from national producers. Sustainability is embedded in our corporate culture, and we’re proud to have been driving change at local and national level. We work hard to respond to and anticipate our customers’ sustainability expectations, and we constantly innovate, as innovation is the crucial driver of the transformation toward sustainable food systems. As retailers, we are at the heart of the food supply chain, interacting with everyone from farmers and food producers, through technology players, SMEs, logistics operators and finally consumers, reaching out and gathering feedback from all actors of the supply chain. Ensuring sustainability long the whole food value chain is critical for us, and we welcome the Commission’s ambition on this topic. At Sonae, we share the firm belief that it is only if all stakeholders come together, bringing their diversity of knowledge, experience and vision, that we will be successful. Joint undertakings and common objectives between the private sector and decisionmakers are key to developing a sustainable future of food in Europe. It is crucial that retailers and policymakers engage in an ongoing and sustained dialogue, in a mutually-beneficial process. We understand that the Farm to Fork strategy has the ambition to present an integrated approach covering the entire food chain from farm to fork. As such, we are eager to participate in the roll out of the strategy by sharing in the attached document a few selected examples of our best practices, and also concerns and recommendations.
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Meeting with Anouk Faber (Cabinet of Commissioner Nicolas Schmit) and NOVE

4 Mar 2020 · Skills

Meeting with Joost Korte (Director-General Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion)

3 Mar 2020 · EU's priorities on employment and skills for the next mandate