Page 15 - European Energy Innovation - Summer 2017 publication

Summer 2017 European Energy Innovation
It is therefore important to get the
prices and market design right. The
EESC therefore, while welcoming the
Commission’s recognition of the need
for a fundamental transformation
of energy markets, given the ever-
increasing use of renewable energy
and the new opportunities offered by
digitisation:
• regrets the continuing existence of
direct and indirect subsidies that
are harmful to fair competition, and
stresses the need to reform the
emissions trading system in order
internalise certain external costs of
energy sources; and
• echoes certain Member States that
have been urging the Commission
to recognise the increasingly
important role of small-scale
electricity producers, and to allow
them to participate in energy
markets by adjusting rules that were
originally designed for large-scale,
centralised energy production.
THE SOCIAL DIMENSION OF
ENERGY TRANSITION
It is imperative to bear in mind that
any transition – including the ongoing
energy transition – will involve
reshaping all economies, especially
carbon-intensive ones, and will entail
social, societal and economic risks
for different groups and regions. It is
therefore important to ensure that new
“green” jobs are also decent jobs, in
terms of social protection, health and
safety, working conditions, and so on.
The EESC also stresses that affected
workers must be given the assistance
they need to retrain, to help them adapt
to the new job profiles associated
with these new energy options. While
this is currently particularly urgent in
the fossil fuel sector, especially coal,
nuclear workers could in future find
themselves in a similar situation if there Efforts from now on must take proper
is continued growth in these new types
of energy.
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15
THE ENERGY UNION
The Committee has also expressed
concern at the lack of real progress in
tackling energy poverty, which affects
more than 80 million people in the EU. I
welcome the newly established Energy
Poverty Observatory, which I called for
in early 2015, and we are keen for the
EESC to play an active role in it.
VULNERABILITIES AND
OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSUMERS
ON ENERGY MARKETS
With its vision of an Energy Union
“where citizens take ownership of the
energy transition [and] participate
actively in the market”, the Commission
is setting out a new role for consumers.
The EESC will take it at its word, not
least with regard to the concept
of prosumers (i.e. individuals or
groups who produce and consumer
electricity) and the increasing use
of digital technology in the sector.
For example, our Committee has
observed that Europe’s energy
markets are already changing on the
ground, with a significant rise in the
number of prosumers of decentralised
renewable energy: there are more than
100 000 even in France, with its highly
centralised energy sector. This requires
consumers to be able to participate
actively in the market. It should also
make rules and invoices easier to
understand, and give all consumers,
including the most vulnerable, access
to the new opportunities offered by the
growth of digital technologies.
CONSTANTLY EVOLVING
LEGISLATION, DIALOGUE AND A
CIVIL SOCIETY DIMENSION
Most of the progress made since the
Euratom Treaty 60 years ago and in the
ECSC has involved market liberalisation
– which, to say the least, has not been a
factor in lowering prices or in improving
security of supply.
account of the three dimensions of
sustainable development: social,
environmental and economic.
This new paradigm is clearly set out in
the latest raft of measures on “Clean
Energy for All Europeans”.
This package includes a number of
proposals that the Committee strongly
believes should be targeted exclusively
at the general public.
Improving the energy performance
of buildings, for example, involves
deploying the necessary funds
to fit insulation and install new
technologies in homes, businesses
and administrative buildings. It will
create a great many jobs, both directly
and indirectly, and new activities for
businesses throughout Europe.
The same is true of clean energy
innovation, which needs to take
account of various public and private
initiatives and to connect and pool
them at EU level.
Finally, as I mentioned above, this
progress can only be real and tangible
if it is based on solidarity:
• solidarity between the European
institutions and Member States;
• solidarity between the Member
States themselves - speaking
with one voice on international
energy issues; a continent-wide
energy system that includes our
Eastern, Balkan and Mediterranean
neighbours, allowing for the free
flow of cheaper energy; a low-
carbon economy that helps to tackle
climate change; an innovative,
competitive and accessible energy
technology sector; a larger skilled
workforce for the energy system
of the future; and targeted future-
oriented investment.
This is the challenge: an Energy Union
focused on the people, for the people –
and by the people. l