Rapporteur Talks

The European Union has placed hydrogen at the forefront of its ambitious climate neutrality goals. The EU aims to harness the potential of hydrogen in various sectors, such as industry, transport, and energy production, to help achieve its target of becoming carbon-neutral by 2050. However, hydrogen can create several climate challenges depending on how it is produced, managed, and used.

This event will discuss the latest science around hydrogen emissions and its climate implications. To date, hydrogen leakage has been seen as a safety concern. It can cause significant near-term warming by increasing amounts of short-lived GHGs in the atmosphere through chemical reactions. Depending on how much is emitted, anticipated climate benefits can be severely undercut in the near term.

Ensuring hydrogen is deployed strategically and effectively is therefore crucial. This requires an appropriate policy framework and ensuring that companies incorporate plans to deal with hydrogen emissions at an early stage in project design.

Listen this Euractiv Virtual Conference to learn more about the latest science on hydrogen emissions and discuss its implications. Questions to be addressed include:
- What steps should industry take to limit hydrogen emissions throughout the supply chain?
- What are the top 3 policy opportunities in the next 5 years and most suitable policy measures to limit hydrogen emissions?
- How can we best harness the current flow of investments, including from the EU Hydrogen Bank, to mitigate and address risk?
- What developments have there been in testing new technologies? How have new technologies progressed the use of hydrogen recently?
- What are the most important technological lessons learned from other countries that the EU should consider?

During her State of the Union address, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed the crucial role of the wind industry in delivering the EU Green Deal but also remarked that the industry is facing a unique set of challenges.

To address them, on 24 October the European Commission announced its new Wind Power Action Plan, aimed at maintaining a healthy and competitive wind energy supply chain, with a clear and secure pipeline of projects, attracting the necessary financing and competing on a level playing field globally.

The Plan sets out immediate actions to be taken together by the Commission, the Member States and industry, by focusing on six main areas: acceleration of deployment through increased predictability and faster permitting, improved auction design, access to finance, a fair and competitive international environment, skills and industry engagement, and Member States commitments.

Join this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the Commission’s newly announced Wind Power Action Plan. What will be its role in making the wind industry a ‘European success story’, as President von der Leyen called it in her State of the Union speech? And how is it going to address the unique challenges that the wind industry is facing?

The Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (EPCA), which entered into force on 1 March 2020, governs trade and economic relations between the European Union and Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the first Central Asian partner to have concluded an EPCA with the EU, and the EU is Kazakhstan’s biggest overall trading partner, accounting for 40% of its external trade.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Strategic Partnerships on Sustainable Raw Materials, Batteries, and Renewable Hydrogen Value Chains was signed on 7 November 2022. The MoU provides a political framework for enhanced cooperation between the EU and Kazakhstan, particularly in light of the current geopolitical context.

This strategic partnership aligns with the EU's policy to guarantee access to a secure, diversified, cost-effective and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and refined materials, which is seen as crucial for the green and digital transitions, as well as for the decarbonisation of energy production.

Coinciding with EU Raw Materials Week, this Euractiv Hybrid Conference will discuss EU-Kazakh trade and economic relations. Questions to be discussed include:

- What role can the MoU on Strategic Partnerships on Sustainable Raw Materials, Batteries, and Renewable Hydrogen Value Chains play in this context?
- How will the MoU contribute to the green and digital transformation of both economies?
- How can the MoU serve to strengthen EU-Kazakh relations more generally?

As part of the European Green Deal and the new circular economy action plan, the European Commission put forward a revision of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive (PPWD) in November 2022. The initiative's main objective is to ensure that all packaging is reusable or recyclable in an economically feasible manner by 2030.

The PPWD requires Member States to take measures to prevent the generation of packaging waste and to minimise the environmental impact of packaging. The proposal was voted on in the ENVI Committee of the European Parliament on 24 October 2023.

According to the European Commission, from 2009 to 2020, the total mass of packaging waste generated in the EU rose by 20%. Paper and cardboard represented the most common packaging waste materials, at 41%. Environmental organisations report that three billion trees are cut down every year worldwide to meet the demand for paper packaging.

Listen to Euractiv's Virtual Conference that discusses the proposed revision to the Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive. Questions to be addressed include:

- Does the proposed Regulation go far enough to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, in particular for our forests?
- Could the PPWR lead to a reduction in logging activities?
- Considering factors such as environmental and food safety measures, are there alternative packaging options available?

The production and use of energy account for more than 75% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions. This highlights the urgency of reducing carbon emissions in the energy sector, a crucial step in achieving the 2030 climate goals and the overarching objective of carbon neutrality by 2050 (European Commission).

To guide the EU's shift towards a more efficient and environmentally friendly energy system, one promising approach involves the active involvement of a portion of the European population, coupled with crowdfunding for energy transition initiatives. However, according to the European Commission, currently the EU market for crowdfunding is underdeveloped compared with other major world economies.

Some public and private projects, when packaged in an engaging and well-known context, can partially finance the energy transition through funding support from the general public. Such projects offer a path for both the general public and stakeholders to engage in climate action.

In the case of professional football, a Horizon 2020-funded project, GREENFOOT, develops and implements crowdfunding schemes for renovating stadiums, practice facilities, and related buildings with energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RES) measures.

Re-listen this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to discuss the potential of crowdfunding for accelerating the energy transition in the EU. Questions to be addressed include:

- Can crowdfunding play a role in bridging the energy transition funding gap?
- Have crowdfunding patterns changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost of living crisis?
- How can we encourage crowdfunding among communities, in particular for green initiatives?

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under Grant Agreement No 893858.

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.

The demand for sustainable mobility is growing rapidly while at the same time, the fight against climate change and atmospheric pollution has emerged as one of the paramount challenges for the European transportation sector. According to the EU Sustainable & Smart Mobility Strategy, the gradual change and modernization of European transportation should give way to a fundamental transformation. The scenarios presented in the EC’s strategy, aligned with those supporting the 2030 climate target plan, suggest that—with the right level of ambition—the combination of policy measures detailed in this strategy can achieve a 90% reduction in transport sector emissions by 2050.

Air transport is increasingly perceived as one of the key carbon-intensive sectors. It's often labelled a hard-to-abate industry, primarily because of technological limitations that make it difficult to directly reduce carbon emissions. The recently adopted EU policy measures and regulations, intended to make transport more sustainable, have established a stringent framework for the aviation value chain. In the absence of revolutionary net-zero aviation fuel and propulsion technologies, the aviation sector faces a monumental task to achieve the carbon dioxide emission targets set by the European Green Deal, among other EU strategies and policies.

Currently, the largest infrastructure project in Europe is being built in Poland - Centralny Port Komunikacyjny. CPK is a planned multi-modal transport and interchange hub that will integrate air, rail and road transport in the region. As part of the project, a new airport and a major rail hub will be built in the centre of Poland, connecting CPK with the rest of the country and other European countries via newly constructed high-speed railway lines.

In its commitment to combating climate change and fostering a shared green future, CPK has embedded sustainability into its investment programme from the very beginning. The aim is to transform the mobility industry in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. Highly ambitious climate mitigation and pollution reduction targets have been set during the planning and design phases, positioning CPK to become the first "Net-Zero Ready" airport in the region upon its inauguration. This undertaking aims to set new standards for green airports globally.

This unique sustainable strategy will be showcased by CPK in collaboration with LOT Polish Airlines at the event titled "Sustainable Journey: Navigating the Future of Aviation". The presentation, which will bring together representatives from the European Commission, CPK (the new Polish airport investor and its future operator), LOT (the Polish national air carrier), IATA (The International Air Transport Association), and industry experts, will culminate in a panel discussion. This debate will focus on ensuring European aviation's sustainability without undermining its global competitiveness and will also contemplate potential solutions, opportunities, and recent proofs of concept.

Organised by: CPK
Media Partner: Euractiv

In the ever-evolving landscape of AI governance, organizations are now presented with a powerful motivator—the upcoming EU AI Act proposal. The looming threat of fines, including penalties of up to 7% of annual turnover, forces organizations to take action, as the AI Act mandates better AI governance and seeks a balance between innovation and protecting fundamental rights.

Esteemed panelists from the industry, policy, and standardization fields will attend this webinar bringing their valuable perspectives and insights to the table. Intellera and Modulos will offer an early view of available tools and methodologies to navigate and comply with AI governance. To assess and mitigate the risks of AI and ensure that data science practices are strictly linked to AI governance, regulatory frameworks are dissected into requirements and controls where practitioners can operate providing evidence of their fulfilment at each stage of the AI lifecycle.

Beyond compliance, ensuring good governance of AI applications indeed strengthens the reputation the organization enjoys among its customers, increasing the components of trust, reliability, and security of AI applications.

Drawing parallels to the transition triggered by the GDPR, we find that organizations often lack the know-how to develop competent AI resources within the stringent 24-month timeframe imposed by the Act. This webinar offers guidance in this complex transition: given the right processes, organizations can meet regulatory requirements, foster innovation and uphold their reputation in the landscape of AI governance.

Organised by: Intellera Consulting & Modulos
Media Partner: Euractiv

Spain is part of D9+, the group of European countries leading a new economic model with impact in multiple sectors. We are the seventh country in the European Union in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), ahead of the major European economies.

And the time is now. The digital economy has a real impact on the Spanish GDP: it accounted for 22% in 2022 and, with a joint effort, it can reach 40% in 2030. Spain has strengths and characteristics to lead the European digital transformation during its Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The 2020s are the European Commission's Digital Decade, with ambitious targets in four areas to accelerate progress in skills, government, infrastructures and business. Achieving the Digital Decade goals could unlock over €2.8 trillion in economic value, equivalent to 21% of the EU’s current economy, and a majority (55%) of this potential economic value is reliant on cloud computing.

This event wants to share the experience from best-in-class organizations in Spain, using emerging digital technologies like the cloud, generative AI or smart algorithms to innovate key industries, from Tourism and E-Commerce to Banking and Energy. This initiative tends to be a business and political landmark within the agenda of activities for the Spanish Presidency and a space to generate ideas and proposals for the next European elections.

Organised by: Adigital
Media Partner: Euractiv

The EU Renewable Energy Directive is an important part of the Fit for 55 package and represents a significant step forward in the climate action agenda. By introducing ambitious legislative proposals and promoting a comprehensive approach to decarbonisation, the EU aims to lead the global fight against climate change and drive the transition to a sustainable, low-carbon economy.

In 2022, the European Parliament voted on the revision of the EU Renewable Energy Directive. According to industry stakeholders, this was a strong statement about the continued importance of sustainably produced crop-based biofuels such as renewable ethanol to achieving EU goals for fighting climate change.

Stakeholders from the energy sector are concerned that the sustainability of biofuels and the importance of domestic biofuels production are still being ignored or even undermined. According to them, fears about the effects of EU biofuels production on food security in the context of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are unfounded, and myths about food versus fuel have been debunked. But questions about the sustainability of cropbased biofuels persist in certain policy circles, and their future role in the EU transport mix is still up for debate.

Rew-Watch the EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to examine the evolving role of lowcarbon renewable fuels in achieving EU climate, energy and food security goals and consider the policy steps required to ensure that Europe can meet its commitments for 2030 and beyond. Questions to be addressed include:
- With a ban on sales of internal combustion engine (ICE) cars approaching, do liquid fuels still have a role to play in transport decarbonisation?
- What is the outlook for the definition of carbon-neutral fuels as the ICE ban approaches?
- What role does EU biofuels production have in ensuring domestic sources of protein, biogenic CO2, industrial applications?
- Will the EU achieve its 2030 renewable energy targets? What should the 2040 targets look like?

New genomic techniques (NGTs) and their products have been rapidly developing in the last 20 years in many parts of the world, with some applications already on the market of some EU trade partners.

On 5 July 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Regulation on plants produced by certain new genomic techniques, as part of a package of legislative proposals to support the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.

There is significant demand in the EU and globally for NGT plants, because of their potential to contribute to addressing current challenges in the agri-food system, such as climate change and biodiversity loss.

The scientific and NGO communities are divided on this issue. Some welcome the Commission’s new Regulation proposal, believing it could be an important part of the EU’s bioeconomy revolution. Others believe that there are considerable risks, such as, in the agricultural field, the unknown effects on wild relatives of crops and the unintended release of new genetic traits into nature.

On 24 October the Alliance for Science is publishing a new research report on the potential economic losses to the European economy of non-adoption of NGTs, a cost which, according to the report, will run into hundreds of billions of euros annually during the next decade.

Re-Listen to the EURACTIV hybrid conference to discuss the way forward for new genomic techniques. Questions to be discussed include:

- What is the growth potential of the use of NGTs in agriculture? And what are the risks that should be taken into account?
- Can NGTs play a role in meeting the EU’s climate targets?
- What role could NGTs have in ensuring food security?
- What would the economic benefits of using NGTs be for the European Union?
- What are the next steps for NGTs in the EU legislative process?