Kickstart of a new European season: what is at stake for the energy sector?
The president of the European Commission presented today the key policy priorities for the upcoming months during #SOTEU2023. Here are the main energy-related points of interest.
Illustration : Guillaume Périgois, Unsplash
Today, Wednesday 13th of September, Ursula Von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, delivered her yearly Speech on the State of the European Union in front of the full hemicycle of the European Parliament. On the agenda of political priorities announced during her speech, climate and energy pale into insignificance. However, emphasis was placed on the industrial transition to climate neutrality. Here are the main points of interest:
The EU will keep supporting the transition of the industry by developing a tailor-made approach for each different ecosystem. Therefore, from September on, EU dialogues will take place to help each of the sectors to develop a comprehensive business model leading to decarbonisation.
In particular, the accent will be put on the wind industry, thanks to an European Wind Power Package, which should allow fast tracking permitting, develop skills, improve the auction system across the EU, ease the access to finance and stable supply-chains.
Other priority-sectors mentioned are steel, batteries, and electric vehicles. Notably to protect the EU internal market of electric vehicles, that is yet threatened by Chinese dumping, the EU will lead an anti-subsidy investigation into electric vehicles coming from China.
To develop a strong clean EU-industry, local value-chains need to be enforced and supported, therefore the EU will organise the first meeting of the Critical Raw Materials Club, while the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) Platform to boost and leverage EU funds has been launched.
Furthermore, attention will be brought to the development of SMEs, therefore an EU SME Envoy reporting will be delivered to the President of the European Commission, to assess the challenges faced by SMEs with the new pieces of EU-legislation.
Finally, the President of the Commission recalled shortly the importance of investing in general in renewable energy, which has been highlighted by the energy crisis.
You may also like
Gran Canaria local government opens a participatory process for the 2040 Energy Transition Agenda
The president of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria assures that the objective is “to make life on the Island more sustainable, reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and promoting the use of renewable energy sources.”
Conference of Mayors: Translating the EU Green Deal into local actions
The high level event, titled Conference of Mayors: Translating the EU Green Deal into local actions, was organised by the Flemish Government within the framework of the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council. The event took place in Brussels on the 15th of March 2024, split between morning sessions hosted by the European Parliament, and 3 afternoon parallel sessions hosted by the Committee of the Regions.
REMARKABLE Climate Leaders Podcast is back with Season 2!
Season 2 of The Remarkable Climate Leaders Podcast delves into the journeys of four extraordinary leaders across Europe.
Commissioner Hearings: Regions and Energy Agencies Stand Ready for EU Green Deal Implementation
From the 4th to the 12th of November, European Commissioners-designate faced confirmation hearings with the European Parliament. FEDARENE and its network of regions and energy agencies share their response to this pivotal political moment.
FEDARENE joins forces for climate action as a European Climate Pact Partner
FEDARENE showcased its dedication to fostering collaboration and driving impactful change across Europe at the European Climate Pact.
How to accelerate the deployment of Energy Transition? Insights from ePLANET final event
Wondering how to accelerate the Energy Transition in your region? Get inspired by the discussions during ePLANET final event!