467th Plenary Session of the European Economic and Social Committee

Focused on Energy Strategy 2011-2020 and the Digital Agenda for Europe

The 467th Plenary session of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) was held in Brussels 8 and 9 December 2010. The guest speakers were Ms Joëlle Milquet, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment and Equal Opportunities with responsibility for migration and asylum policy, Mr Dacian Cioloş, Member of the European Commission in charge of Agriculture and Rural Development, and His Excellency Mr Vladimir Chizhov, Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Representative of the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the EU. 

The Plenary session discussed and adopted the following opinions important for the employers´ and business community:

TEN/424 Energy Strategy 2011-2020

The energy strategy will be setting the framework for European energy policy between now and 2020, in line with the recently presented Europe 2020 Strategy.  It will incorporate the commitment to deliver the 20-20-20 targets on greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy saving (as well as the goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 30% if conditions at international level are right). It will also require completing the internal energy market and implementing the European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan). Completing the internal energy market, securing energy savings and promoting low-carbon innovation are the main ways of achieving the competitiveness, sustainability and security of supply objectives.

A "Document d'étape" (interim document) on the Energy Strategy was presented by Commissioner Oettinger as a contribution to the May 2010 Energy Council. This document should serve to frame and foster public debate on the 2050 Roadmap  during the second half of this year, prior to the adoption of the Roadmap itself.

The European Commission has expressed its considerable interest in receiving the European Economic and Social Committee's opinion on this initiative, given the essential role that the various economic and social players represented on the Committee play in promoting and implementing energy policies.

The world needs to transform its energy base and its use of energy by 2050. Europe and the European Union now stand at a critical stage in this evolution. It has strong reasons to press ahead with the transformation because it is highly dependent on foreign imports of oil and gas and is vulnerable to any constraints that may emerge on these supplies. It has also been at the forefront of growing public and political awareness about the climate change threat, and has pioneered the development of some of the alternative sources of energy that will be needed, and measures to increase energy efficiency in some of the key sectors.

But Europe cannot afford to be complacent. The transformation process has not yet built up sufficient momentum to proceed under its own steam, and could easily be severely set back by current economic difficulties and the short-termism that they induce. Meanwhile other countries and regions such as China and the USA are gearing up for rapid action. China in particular is likely to become a very vigorous competitor in the development of alternative energy sources.

It is vitally important for Europe to develop a new dynamism for the energy transformation. The EU's new energy strategy could and should provide the framework for this to be established. It should map out goals and targets, and outline the measures and structures that will be needed to achieve it. The adoption of the strategy by the Council and the institutions needs to be the occasion for mobilising a united political, business and societal will for the changes needed. It is an opportunity that must not be missed or squandered.

The new Energy Strategy for Europe 2011-2020 must be based at least on three cornerstones: security of supply, low-carbon economy and energy competitiveness.  In the EESC's view the key elements that should be covered by the strategy could be summarised under the following heads:

• Getting the economic signals right
• Getting the right technologies
• Mobilising the finance
• Getting the right institutions and structures (public and private)
• Securing the engagement of consumers and the public
• Building a European alliance and partnerships for the transition and establishing general agreement on the goals, the pace of advance and specific targets to be achieved by specific dates.

The EESC comments also on the particular issues raised for discussion in the Commission’s stock‑taking document:

• Modern integrated grids
• Progress towards a low-carbon energy system
• Leadership in technological innovation
• Strong and coordinated external energy policy

• Protecting the EU citizens.

TEN/426 The Digital Agenda for Europe

The Digital Agenda for Europe is one of the seven flagship initiatives of the Europe 2020 Strategy. Its aim is to deliver sustainable economic and social benefits from a digital single market based on fast and ultra fast internet and interoperable applications. To achieve this objective, the Digital Agenda is charting a course to maximise ICT potential, most notably the internet, for doing business, communicating, working, playing and expressing ourselves freely.

Based on consultation with stakeholders and on insights from both the Granada Declaration and the European Parliament Resolution, the Digital Agenda frames its key actions around the need to systematically tackle the most significant problem areas. It therefore describes seven action areas for promoting:

• a digital single market;
• interoperability and standards;
• trust and security;
• fast and ultra fast internet access;
• research and innovation;
• digital literacy, skills and inclusion; as well as
• ICT-enabled benefits in the environment, healthcare, cultural diversity, eGovernment and transport fields. 

There are 16 key actions identified and many more activities described within each of these action areas, to be promoted by the Commission and the Member States. The Digital Agenda also describes measures to ensure the rapid adoption and implementation of these actions, as well as to address the relevant international aspects.

The Committee welcomes the Commission's Communication on "A Digital Agenda for Europe" and agrees with the Commission that the diverse policy initiatives in this field should be unified and managed under a coherent action plan. So, the Committee supports the "Seven Pillar" action plan outlined in this Communication and compliments the Commission on this reasonably comprehensive and mostly correct high-level plan. Nevertheless, the Committee expects that all elements of the Digital Agenda will be properly elaborated in due course and looks forward to duly participate, through relevant consultations, on each detailed aspect of the Digital Agenda.

The Committee notes the problems of commercial, cultural, and legal fragmentation in this domain, and the persistent underinvestment in networks, ICT education and research & innovation identified by the Commission as inhibiting the development of a vibrant digital economy in Europe. The EESC believes that the unsatisfactory progress towards achieving European objectives regarding ICT and the digital economy is due primarily to inadequate execution of policy initiatives at European and national levels. The Committee therefore calls upon Member States to implement with urgency directives and recommendations regarding the Digital Agenda. The Committee also believes that the market alone cannot properly regulate itself for the benefit of the public good. Therefore, a balanced regulatory framework is needed to promote the interests of the greater number of citizens. In particular, the Committee calls once more to include ubiquitous high-speed connectivity within the scope of the universal service definition: if the EU is serious about the Digital Agenda and the principle of e-Inclusion, then action needs to be taken quickly on this issue.

The EESC also notes that the complexity, lack of accessibility and usability of many ICT-based products and services represent major barriers to inclusion for many people, especially the elderly and those with a physical disability. So, Europe has to focus on better designing ICT products and services that can respond to the needs of an ageing society and people with disabilities. Moreover, increased funding is needed for ICT skills development, as well as for knowledge and awareness-raising programmes for citizens and SMEs. The EESC recommends to increase funding of ICT innovation and R&D, while ensuring that there is good coordination across programmes and projects, proper accountability and value for the money invested. The Committee also recommends to encourage and support ICT products and services which are based on open standards, to explicitly include the Galileo programme in the Digital Agenda, to move quickly towards a more market-based approach to spectrum management, to accelerate the development and availability of useful online content and services, to implement an EU-wide certification scheme for e-traders, to ensure that privacy is guaranteed and that personal data are safely stored, and to put special focus on e-commerce involving children.

Last but not least, the Committee welcomes the governance and stewardship provisions included in the Communication to ensure proper and timely implementation of this critical agenda. However, to avoid putting in danger the achievement of the overall objectives, the Committee expects that the Commission would now elaborate a detailed strategy implementation document for the Digital Agenda and maximise the use of ICT governance tools to support its execution. In this context, the EESC might establish a standing group which would focus continuously on the critically important development and execution of the Digital Agenda.

Vladimíra Drbalová
International Organisations and EU Affairs
EESC Member