Energy prices can comprise an important competitiveness factor for industry. However, an economic analysis of industrial competitiveness should not be limited to energy prices. It is essential to have global coherence in limiting climate change. Leadership by Europe may risk consequences of uncompetitiveness, industrial relocation and carbon export.
Energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other indigenous sources of energy can all improve security of supply but each have factors of cost, risk, environmental impact and social acceptance attached. As national approaches and attitudes will vary transparent cost analysis and a revision and better coordination of support instruments (like feed-in regulations and tariffs) are vital in determining an acceptable energy mix in each Member State and cooperation with neighbouring countries is equally important.
Download — Energy prices and costs (communication)
The EESC recommends taking a decisive step towards a real European Energy Community by coordinating national plans, particularly with a view to securing the EU’s energy supply, providing more information on plans to step up action in the non-ETS sector, particularly in the transport, agriculture and land use sectors. And taking radical action on innovation and research as the providers of real solutions to the challenges, in combination with measures to promote the manufacture of equipment for the low carbon economy, while and ensuring that delivery by industry is supported by better training, and making the international development of climate policies the top priority and in parallel paying more attention to adaptation to climate change.
Download — Policy Framework for Climate and Energy 2020-2030
The Committee considers the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) to be a key instrument in EU climate and energy policy for reducing the EU's industrial emissions, and, therefore, calls for its genuine reform aimed at achieving both the EU's climate objectives for 2020 and 2030 while safeguarding our industrial competitiveness and avoiding investment leakage. The EESC supports the proposal to establish a market stability reserve at the beginning of the next ETS trading period in 2021, as a possible measure to deal with post-2020 ETS price volatility.
Download — EU greenhouse gas emission trading scheme
Youth unemployment is a top policy priority of the EESC. Monitoring youth employment measures closely, the Committee is putting forward recommendations based on current practices in Member States. It also suggests that only a strategy geared towards growth and aimed at strengthening competitiveness and restoring the confidence of investors and households, as well as sustainable investment and an economic recovery plan, can stimulate demand for labour.
Download — EESC opinion: Youth employment measures - Best practices
The EESC stresses that a real growth strategy at EU and national level is needed to support the creation of better and more stable jobs for young people.
Download — Employability of young people – matching training with industry needs in an age of austerity
The EESC welcomes the Communication as a significant and helpful support for the implementation of the Core Network Corridors and the predefined projects in them. The EESC appreciates the Communications’ focus on the governance system and the support it provides for the development of the work plans for the Core Network Corridors.
Over-indebtedness has grown with the financial crisis, the rising cost of living and use of cash credit. However, it has not been properly addressed at EU level. The EESC wants that an appropriate uniform procedure is put in place including verification of claims, a European framework for usury or preventive measures.
Download — EESC opinion: Consumer Protection and over-indebtedness
The EESC welcomes the communication and concludes that the challenges facing European industries are not abating, and without a competitive industrial base, Europe will not secure growth and more jobs. In its opinion the EESC particularly recommends to pay more attention to the role of the services and corresponding policies, in particular knowledge based services, to take measures to reduce energy prices and to encourage innovation, EU competition and state aid policies.
Download — EESC opinion: For a European Industrial Renaissance
The European Commission under the European Strategy 2020 has established a goal to raise the industry contribution to GDP from 15.6% (2011) to 20% by 2020. The Industrial Policy Communication updated of October 2012 outlines a strategy to reverse the declining role of industry announcing actions in four main areas: Investment in new technologies and innovation; Access to Markets; Access to Finance and Human capital and skills.
Download — Reshoring of EU industries in the framework of reindustrialisation
Due to the increased need for cost-efficient procedures and the pressure on public expenditure, the European market for pharmaceutical products is less dynamic than in the past. This high-technology sector is faced with the following challenges: austerity measures introduced by European governments, rapid growth in the market and research in emerging economies, and migration of economic, research and development activities outside of Europe.
Download — Industrial Changes in the European Pharmaceutical Sector
The EESC considers that there is an enormous need for a social investment package to counter poverty and promote employment. Implementing such a package requires:
- creating an investment programme amounting to 2% of GDP;
- identifying new sources of revenue;
- including social investments in the Europe 2020 Strategy and the European Semester;
- considering excluding social investments from the calculation of net government deficits; and
- finding the right tools to measure the effects of such investments
Download — EESC opinion: The impact of social investment on employment and public budgets
The effect of the current financial and economic crisis has put energy pricing under the spotlight because of the impact on household energy costs in the context of austerity and on industrial competitiveness of high energy prices. The importance of Market Based Instruments (MBI) is that they must both advance the transition to a resource-efficient and low carbon economy and support economic recovery. Environmental and climate policies should not be seen as a burden in the recovery from the fiscal and economic and social crisis, but rather as a part of the solution. The Committee urges the Commission to make environmental fiscal reform an integral and permanent part of the European Semester.
Download — Market-based instruments - Low carbon economy in the EU
