Any coordinated measures to tackle the energy price crisis must not undermine climate policy efforts, according to the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC).
The EESC has advised the EU that on top of its emergency response aimed at avoiding severe social consequences, the bloc must closely monitor the energy market and step up investment in renewables.
Measures to tackle rising energy prices must be coordinated and give each Member State enough space to respond in the manner that best fits the situation of their country.
To avoid drastic social consequences, the EESC backs taking emergency measures but has also put forward proposals to tackle the issue from a long-term perspective.
EESC’s Thomas Kattnig said: “Direct financial support and tax-based instruments are the most effective and immediate measures at our disposal to help those who are vulnerable, and they need to be accompanied by specific solutions at national level in response to the actual conditions in individual countries, such as preventing the disconnection of energy supply during the cold season, long-term instalment plans and using different tax policy instruments.”
The group stated investment in sustainable zero- and low-carbon energy sources should be stepped up along with any efforts to increase the share of renewable energy.
This could have a price-depressing effect and will certainly increase the EU’s energy autonomy, making it less dependent on unfriendly regimes, said the EESC.
More specifically, the group advised the transmission grid system needs to be upgraded through the expansion of interconnectors and a better developed storage infrastructure.
EESC’s Lutz Ribbe said: “We need incentives to motivate households and businesses to acquire energy-saving products and technologies, and produce the energy themselves.
“Direct assistance to those in need must be ‘targeted’ and not ‘across the board’. It must reflect the social dimension and not hinder the green transformation.”
The EU’s dependency on imports must be reduced as quickly as possible, as the Russian invasion of Ukraine has emphasised, said the EESC.
On 8 March 2022, the European Commission published a Communication on a Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy, presenting a plan to make the EU independent from Russian fossil fuels, starting with gas, well before 2030.
As 2030 is the deadline for reaching the climate targets to which the EU is committed in the energy transition, with the ultimate goal of a climate-neutral economy by 2050, it will require huge investment but also an adaptation of the whole energy ecosystem, said the group.