Rapporteur Talks

The political term spanning from 2019 to 2024 saw an unprecedented focus on healthcare, not only in terms of the EU’s response to the immediate health crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, but also making significant strides in addressing longer term healthcare challenges across Europe. Anchored by the goal of building a ‘European Health Union’, notable achievements include the €5.3 billion EU4Health programme, including substantial healthcare investments towards preparednessand response to health threats, the launch of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan and a European Health Data Space, and foundational steps towards addressing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) through the Healthier Together Initiative. Meanwhile, the proposed revision of the General Pharmaceutical Legislation represents the most significant overhaul of EU medicines policy in over two decades, the debate on which is set to continue into the next institutional cycle.

As the EU confronts mounting health challenges, the growing burden of NCDs compounded by an ageing population, fiscal constraints, persistent health disparities and a health workforce crisis, Europe’s future political leadership must reflect on lessons learned from the last five years, and look to the road ahead to safeguard the resilience and sustainability of Europe’s health systems and economies.

Listen to the discussion with leading policymakers and experts in EU health policy who will explore key questions including:

• What are the major successes and lessons learned in health policy during the 2019-2024 institutional mandate?
• What should the EU’s health policy priorities be for the next political cycle?
• How can stakeholders across the healthcare ecosystem best collaborate to achieve a successful European Health Union?

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies are crucial for Europe to achieve its climate targets for 2040 and 2050. CCUS solutions can also enhance industrial competitiveness and bolster energy resilience.

It is no coincidence that the European Commission unveiled its Industrial Carbon Management Strategy on the same day as the publication of its 2040 climate target, early February. Without a massive deployment of CCUS technologies, the EU will not be able to decarbonise its industrial activities.

Along with the ICMS, the Net Zero Industry Act emphasises the role of CCUS technologies in reaching Net-Zero by 2050 and being a critical solution in securing the future of European industries.

Listen to this event organised by the Carbon Capture & Storage Association – the leading European CCUS trade association with 120+ members across the entire value chain - to explore the CCUS industry perspective about achieving the CO2 storage targets set by the European Commission.

Key discussion points will include:

• Assessing the impact of CCUS on industrial decarbonisation processes.
• Advancing solutions for compelling business cases to increase CO2 storage and transport infrastructure investments.
• Identifying key policy measures to promote the use of CCUS technologies.

Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) technologies are crucial for Europe to achieve its climate targets for 2040 and 2050. CCUS solutions can also enhance industrial competitiveness and bolster energy resilience.

It is no coincidence that the European Commission unveiled its Industrial Carbon Management Strategy on the same day as the publication of its 2040 climate target, early February. Without a massive deployment of CCUS technologies, the EU will not be able to decarbonise its industrial activities.

Along with the ICMS, the Net Zero Industry Act emphasises the role of CCUS technologies in reaching Net-Zero by 2050 and being a critical solution in securing the future of European industries.

Listen to this event organised by the Carbon Capture & Storage Association – the leading European CCUS trade association with 120+ members across the entire value chain - to explore the CCUS industry perspective about achieving the CO2 storage targets set by the European Commission.

Key discussion points will include:

• Assessing the impact of CCUS on industrial decarbonisation processes.
• Advancing solutions for compelling business cases to increase CO2 storage and transport infrastructure investments.
• Identifying key policy measures to promote the use of CCUS technologies.

Water is essential to human life, to the health of our ecosystems and to European economies, yet it is under increasing stress due to overexploitation, rising demand and the effects of climate change.

The impacts are increasingly felt in our societies and economies. Since 2000, the European Commission’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) has been the main legal framework for water protection in Europe, aiming to ensure an integrated approach to water management, while respecting the integrity of whole ecosystems.

More recently, in 2023, the European Commission was drafting a ‘Water Resilience Initiative’, which has, for the moment, been withdrawn from the Commission’s agenda.

Already, different stakeholders have put in place public-private partnerships with long-term strategies to restore and protect freshwater ecosystems that need continued policy support.

Two days ahead of World Water Day, join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss what can and needs to be done to protect EU waters and ecosystems:

• What action can be taken to mitigate the recent rise in water-related disasters and the consequences for people and the economy?
• What role do the Water Framework Directive and the Water Resilience Initiative play in protecting waters and ecosystems?
• How does the withdrawal of the Water Resilience Initiative impact the EU’s water strategy?
• How do the interdependencies between climate, water systems, and natural ecosystems highlight the necessity for integrated environmental management approaches?
• And what role do public-private and cross-sectoral partnerships play in restoring water ecosystems? How can these initiatives be encouraged and scaled up?

The 2019-2024 EU legislative term marked a significant milestone for climate and environmental policies. The EU committed to being carbon-neutral by 2050, resulting in sector-specific legislation, from decarbonising transport to enhancing energy efficiency in buildings. Socio-economic challenges, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions affecting energy supply, have compelled policymakers to balance economic concerns without compromising climate goals.

Sustainable biodiesel is a primarily EU-produced fuel, which can replace imported fossil fuels in various sectors, such as transport, as a renewable alternative. Consequently, the EU is transitioning to sustainable biofuels, like biodiesel, to cut greenhouse gas emissions and bolster energy security.

In November 2023, an amendment to the Renewable Energy Directive entered into force, increasing the EU’s ambition to integrate energy from renewable sources in the EU energy mix. For the transport sector, the text introduces a binding target for Member States to either reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of the energy used by 14.5% or achieve a 29% share of renewables within the final consumption of energy by 2030. Additionally, the text sets a target of 4.5% with double counting (or 2.25% in real energy terms) for advanced (waste- and residue-based) biofuels.

Join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss biofuels and their potential for the decarbonisation of the transport sector in the EU. Some questions to be addressed include:

• What are the key policy challenges for the biofuels sector?
• How do sustainable biofuels support the EU’s food and feed strategic autonomy?
• How do biofuels support the energy transition and energy security in the EU?
• How efficient and cost-effective are biofuels for the decarbonisation process?
• How effective is the revised Renewable Energy Directive so far? - How should the EU biofuels policy agenda look for the next legislative term?
• How can the negative impact of biofuels production due to indirect land use change be avoided? Does the revised Renewable Energy Directive go far enough in this regard?

Is the race for the future already run & lost? Find out at the launch of the latest edition of ERT’s bi-annual Competitiveness and Industry Benchmarking Report. As the European elections approach, this report will bring together 38 KPIs and shine a light on the current state of play of Europe’s competitiveness vis-à-vis its global peers and competitors. What are our strengths and where do have to do better? EU Single Market – Technological Leadership – Regulatory Environment – Digital Transformation and the Green Transition. Find out at this event.

In recent decades, political institutions have witnessed a gradual erosion of trust among their constituents, a trend exacerbated by the economic and financial crisis. According to the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS), over the past 20 years, vote turnout in both Western and Eastern democracies has dropped by an average of 10 percentage points.

Within the European Union, which has faced criticism from citizens, non-governmental organizations, and other civil society groups, the challenge of greater involvement in European policy-making is consistently highlighted. From 2002 to 2010, the percentage of Europeans expressing dissatisfaction with politics increased from 31% to 43% (EPRS).

Participatory budgeting (PB) emerged as a solution to rejuvenate democratic participation, reinforce civil society, modernize public services, and combat corruption in the EU. According to the EPRS, the number of participatory budgeting experiments in the EU surged from 55 to over 1,300 between 2005 and 2012, engaging more than 8 million EU citizens.

Currently, PB is primarily employed at the municipal level, where citizens are invited to propose and vote on initiatives to be executed through the local budget. Although there are instances at regional and national levels, this practice has yet to be implemented on a European scale.

In the context of the H2020 project DEMOTEC, listen this Euractiv Virtual Conference to discuss PB and its potential at an EU level. Some questions to be discussed include:

• How will PB work in practice concerning specific policies at an EU level?
• How can PB complement representative democracy? Is it a valuable tool for improving citizens' trust in EU institutions?
• What challenges are associated with implementing such a process at an EU level?

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under Grant Agreement no 962553.

This website reflects only the author's view and the Research Executive Agency or European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

European forests are vital for preserving native wildlife and for fighting against climate change. Currently, the EU lacks some knowledge about its forests that would help to restore and protect them.

The EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans proposal aims to develop “an EU-wide forest observation framework” (European Commission) providing open access to the condition and management of the EU's forests.

The framework will use remote sensing technologies and geospatial data together with monitoring on the ground. The monitoring will focus on parameters connected to EU policy priorities, such as climate change, biodiversity, health, invasive alien species and forest management. In addition to monitoring the EU's progress towards its goals, the collected data would enable better forest management and take timely action in case of forest disturbances and disasters.

The legislative proposal could also introduce strategic plans for forests, developed by competent national authorities, and lay out Member States’ strategic vision for their forests and the forest-based sector for the upcoming decades. The proposal is expected before the end of 2023.

Join this Euractiv Virtual Conference to discuss the proposed new EU Framework for Forest Monitoring and Strategic Plans. Some questions to be discussed include:

• Does the proposal do enough to protect the EU's forests, and to fight climate change?
• What are the key strengths and weaknesses of this proposal?
• Will the proposal help to identify primary forests?
• What is the impact on foresters and Member States with large forestry industries?

Am 22. Juni 2022 schlug die Europäische Kommission im Rahmen des Europäischen Green Deals eine Verordnung über die nachhaltige Verwendung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln vor, die als Teil eines Maßnahmenpakets den ökologischen Fußabdruck des Lebensmittelsystems der EU verringern soll. Dazu gehört auch die neue Verordnung zur nachhaltigen Verwendung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln (SUR).

Am 22. November 2023 hat das Europäische Parlament den Vorschlag der Kommission abgelehnt. Der Rat muss noch über seinen Standpunkt zu dem Vorschlag entscheiden, um festzustellen, ob er endgültig abgelehnt wird oder ob er zur zweiten Lesung an das Parlament zurückgeht.

Deutschland hat sich verpflichtet, das 50-Prozent-Ziel auf nationaler Ebene umzusetzen. Der integrierte Pflanzenschutz (IPM) ist ein zentrales Element in den Plänen der Regierung zur Erreichung dieses Ziels.

Es wurden Anstrengungen unternommen, um den Ausstieg aus schädlichen Pestiziden abzumildern, zum Beispiel durch die Entwicklung alternativer Pflanzenschutztechniken und die Aktualisierung der sektor- und anbauspezifischen Leitlinien zum integrierten Pflanzenschutz. Trotz dieser Bemühungen werden IPM-Verfahren in Deutschland jedoch nur in begrenztem Umfang eingesetzt.

Der Deutsche Bauernverband (DBV) betonte, dass die Landwirte bereits sehr viel unternehmen, um einen IPM-Ansatz im Pflanzenschutz umzusetzen. Eine zusätzliche Reduzierung des Pestizideinsatzes wäre eine große Herausforderung, insbesondere für einige Sektoren und Regionen in Deutschland.

Nehmen Sie an der virtuellen Euractiv-Konferenz teil, um über die Verordnung zur nachhaltigen Nutzung von Pflanzenschutzmitteln und den deutschen Vorschlag zur Umsetzung des 50-Prozent-Ziels zu diskutieren. Zu den Diskussionspunkten gehören unter anderem folgende Fragen:

• Hat die Ablehnung des Vorschlags im Europäischen Parlament Auswirkungen auf das deutsche Ziel einer 50-prozentigen Reduzierung?
• Kann Deutschland sein Ziel erfüllen?
• Was sind die Folgen für die deutschen Landwirte?

Kofinanziert von der Europäischen Union.

Die geäußerten Ansichten und Meinungen entsprechen ausschließlich denen des Autors bzw. der Autoren und spiegeln nicht zwingend die Ansichten der Europäischen Union wider. Weder die Europäische Union noch die Zulassungsstelle können dafür verantwortlich gemacht werden.

To reach the EU's climate targets, increase industrial competitiveness, and improve its energy resilience, carbon capture and storage technologies play an important role.

As part of its decarbonisation efforts, in 2023 the European Commission released a Net-Zero Industry Act for a simplified regulatory environment and a rapid deployment of carbon solutions.

The Act aims at promoting investments in the production capacity of products that are key in meeting the EU’s climate neutrality goals. To facilitate and enable carbon capture and storage projects and increase the availability of CO2 storage sites, the Act sets a target of 50 million tonnes of annual CO2 storage capacity by 2030.

In addition to this, the adoption of the Industrial carbon management strategy by the European Commission should help identify the gaps to deploy these systems at scale.

Industry stakeholders argue that while the EU has set ambitious objectives, the deficiency in transport and storage infrastructure remains an issue in the absence of substantial policy support. Hard-to-abate industries such as cement, steel, chemicals, are in particular need of additional technology options as they chart their transition and make investment decisions.

Join this Euractiv Virtual Conference to discuss where we stand on the road to reaching the target of 50 million tonnes of CO2 stored by 2030. Questions to be addressed include:
- Is the Communication on industrial carbon management enough to raise awareness about the role of CCS?
- How challenging is the business case for building a better transport and storage infrastructure?
- What kind of policy support would be needed for appropriate transport and storage infrastructure to be put in place?