The EESC calls for more EU autonomy in energy, food, water and raw materials to better deal with emergencies

The EESC has urged the Commission and Member States to develop a plan to increase the EU's preparedness for emergencies. In particular, the plan should increase the EU’s sovereignty in energy generation, food and water production and the mining of raw materials.

With winter approaching and the cost of energy a concern for citizens, the EESC wants the EU to improve its resilience in order to cope with future crises.

An own-initiative opinion adopted at the October plenary session emphasised the EESC’s belief that continuous improvements to increase the resilience of energy systems to natural, political or other emergencies should be integrated into all energy policies.

This should encompass the whole production chain, including research and development, material processing, design, manufacturing, installation, start-up and maintenance of facilities within the EU single market. The autonomy would help to eliminate energy poverty and unemployment.

Opinion rapporteur Paul Rübig also called for support for citizens and consumers who want to invest in their own energy production and efficiency: "We need information campaigns, tax incentives and subsidies and we have to build new transport infrastructure throughout the internal market, but also outside the European Union".

Going beyond this, the EESC called for critical supplies of materials such as copper, lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements to be secured through new single market mining and recycling strategies. It recommended safeguarding sources of oil, coal, gas, uranium, water, food and animal feed and developing plans for rationing energy, food, water and sanitation facilities. (dm)