The EESC agrees that the 2050 vision goal of a greenhouse gas reduction of 60% in the transport sector, although very challenging, is in line with the EU's overall climate policy aims and that it strikes a reasonable balance between the need for quick reductions of greenhouse gases and the time needed to optimise energy efficiency in a single European Transport Area and develop new and sustainable fuels and propulsion systems in order to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Download — Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area (White Paper)
The Rio 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development must send out a clear signal to the world community, with specific proposals for the transition to an economic order based on qualitative economic growth that helps to eliminate poverty and social injustice whilst preserving natural resources for future generations.
The EESC is convinced that ensuring access to resources, food and energy should be amongst the priorities of the global sustainability agenda.
Policy measures and clear indicators must be established to measure progress on the road to greater sustainability.
Download — EESC Opinion: Contribution of European organised civil society to UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio (Rio+20)
The central message of this exploratory opinion is the need for a coordinated approach on renewable energies in the region, one that is based on co-development.
The Commission's communication sets out a strategy for the implementation of the charter in the new legal environment created by the Lisbon Treaty. The charter must serve as a compass for the Union's policies and their implementation by the Member States. The EESC finds that the Commission should strengthen the culture of fundamental rights at all government levels and across all policy and legislative domains level. It is as well urgent to establish a strategy for monitoring and for rapid reaction.
Download — EESC opinion: Strategy for the effective implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights by the European Union
