July 2015
Priorities of the EPP Group in the European Committee of the Regions
Energy Union and the road to Paris
The Energy Union aims to ensure secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy for citizens and businesses throughout the
European Union. According to the European Commission, energy related actions at European, regional, national and local lev-
els should all contribute to the Energy Union’s objectives in a coherent way. With 80% of energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with urban activity, Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, had these words for local authorities gathered at the Summit of mayors of EU capitals and large cities in Paris in March: “European Cities are the most ambitious when it comes to climate and energy… By becoming Energy Union ambassadors at home and abroad,
European cities will continue to lead the fight against global climate change.” On 8 July, Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-president of the European Commission, will address the Committee of the Regions Plenary Session to underline the need for support at local and regional level, if the Energy Union is to be a success. Pascal Mangin, the CoR rapporteur on the Energy Union, will reply on behalf of the EPP Group, as will Marek Woźniak. ■
A new pact for innovation
Eastern Partnership: the next steps
“In just 30 years, more than 8 in 10 Europeans will live in urban areas. This will mean a great deal of added pressure on our urban environments within our own lifetimes, but it’s also swift becoming a very real opportunity to innovate how cities and towns are conceived, built and developed.” Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner in charge of Research, Science and Innovation, told the EPP/CoR. As Europe slowly comes out of the economic, financial and social crisis, it is the right time to create an innovation-friendly environment that makes it easier for great ideas to be turned into products and services that will bring our economy growth and jobs. According to statistics provided for the Europe 2020 Strategy, reaching the target of investing 3% of EU GDP in research and development by 2020 could create 3.7 million jobs and increase annual GDP by €795 billion by 2025. Commissioner Moedas, will make the case for more investment and entrepreneurial support at the Committee of the Regions Plenary Session on 9 July. Alin Adrian Nica and Christian Buchmann will address the Commissioner on behalf of the EPP Group. ■
On the occasion of the fourth Eastern Partnership summit in Riga, EU leaders met with the representatives of the Republic of Armenia, the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Republic of Belarus, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine on 2122 May 2015 to reconfirm the importance the EU attaches to this cooperation. The Summit conclusions welcome the steps taken by the Conference of local and regional authorities of the Eastern Partnership (CORLEAP) in promoting cooperation at the regional and municipal levels of government and invite the European Commission to ensure appropriate, targeted support to local and regional authorities to assist their role in pursuing the goals and objectives of the Eastern Partnership. Taking stock of these conclusions, Roland Freudenstein, Deputy Director and Head of Research at the Martens Centre for European Studies, will join the EPP Group meeting. Prior to the meeting, he underlined: “Cities and regions are crucial to making the Eastern Partnership a success story. Thanks to their experience, they are indispensable to our efforts to support democracy, prosperity and the rule of law in our partner countries.” The opinion of Nikolaos Chiotakis on steps towards a new European Neighbourhood Policy is due to be adopted on 9 July. ■