Evaluating the European Energy Union – The social and societal dimension of the energy transition

Key points:

• The EESC emphasises the urgent need to set up an effective dialogue process on EU energy policy and the importance of EU action to ensure high-quality information for EU citizens on clean energy solutions. In particular, it asks the European Commission to propose introducing definitions of energy poverty and common indicators at EU level, and supports the initiatives of the EU and the Member States to introduce ambitious renovation strategies with the goal of renovating 3% of buildings every year, therefore facilitating innovation and creating many local jobs.
• The EESC also stresses the importance of high-quality training for workers and the need to make the energy sector more attractive to young Europeans and urges the EU and its Member States to support clean-economy start-ups, particularly disrupted by COVID-19 and its consequences. It supports the EU's initiatives to anticipate and mitigate the inevitable economic and social consequences of the phasing-out of coal, particularly by means of the platform for coal regions in transition.
• The EESC finally asks the European Commission to involve energy communities in the Research and Innovation mission on climate-neutral towns and cities to see how these communities and their innovation potential can contribute to a rapid, just and democratic energy transition. The European Commission should ensure that the EU directives on energy communities are properly transposed into national law so that these communities are fully recognised in every EU Member State.