Rapporteur Talks

In March 2023, the European Commission presented its Critical Raw Material Act (CRMA) which aims at securing the supply of critical raw materials, mitigating risks to supply chains and reducing the EU´s strategic dependencies while boosting European autonomy, for example by promoting refining, processing and recycling of raw materials in Europe.

The new regulation sets benchmarks for domestic capacities and for critical and strategic raw materials supply chains to diversify EU supply by 2030. At the same time, the CRMA includes a strong international component by focussing on international cooperation as an essential element of a successful raw materials supply strategy. Where do we go from here? And what do Parliament and the Council need to do so that concrete projects can start?

The first reaction from European industry was rather positive. The fact that critical raw materials are on the political agenda has been welcomed. On the one hand, critical raw materials such as lithium for batteries are crucial for various manufacturing industries. On the other hand, with the European mining equipment industry for example, there are sectors in the EU that provide both the network and the technology to ramp up a sustainable, clean extraction and production of raw materials, both in the EU and in third countries.

Also, the creation of a Critical Raw Materials Club together with like-minded countries is being discussed, with the aim of strengthening global supply chains, expanding Free Trade Agreements and combating unfair trade practices.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to learn more about the implications of the EU’s Critical Raw Material Act for European industry and technology providers, and how extraction, processing and recycling of critical raw materials by European companies can be supported.  Discussed questions included:
- What are the prospects for a critical raw materials “club” in the current complex geopolitical context?
- What is needed to ramp up sustainable exploration in the EU and ensure the required acceptance?
- How can Member States and private companies be supported in maximising the recovery and reuse of critical raw materials?
- How effective can the CRMA be in monitoring and mitigating risks of disruptions to the supply chain as well as enhancing circularity and sustainability?

Europe is facing serious healthcare challenges. Ageing and the increase in chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and brain conditions are increasing costs to potentially unsustainable levels, raising the risk of unequal access to care for patients across the EU. And losing our ability to protect ourselves against infectious diseases is exposing us to new risks and threats.

The Covid-19 pandemic underlined the widespread impact of inequalities on health outcomes. Factors such as age, race, socio-economic group, geography, and pre-existing health conditions all contributed to a vastly unequal 'experience' of the pandemic. But it became clear during the pandemic that coordinating health research and innovation among European countries can help reduce health inequalities.

The European Union's investment in research, technology and innovation is leading to improvements in the generation of harmonised data for risk assessment, advancement of technologies, better informed decision-making, and production of knowledge. For example, with the use of new medical technologies in diagnostics, it is possible to improve clinical decision-making and treatment choice. All these improvements contribute to a more cost-effective and sustainable healthcare system.

The EU is also taking other practical steps to reduce healthcare inequalities, notably via its €5.1 billion EU4Health 2021-27 strategy. This is complimented by Member States putting forward their own national strategies to tackle inequalities.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out the role of research and innovation in the healthcare sector, most notably in fighting health inequalities. Discussed questions included:

- What are the biggest health inequalities and consequent challenges across the EU? How are different Member States tackling them?
- How have new technologies helped achieve notable improvements at local level?
- In which ways can innovations in diagnosis contribute to strengthening the health of individuals and communities while combating inequalities?
- What have we learned from Covid-19 in fighting inequalities?

The Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union kicked off in January and it is clear that European competitiveness will be an important focus over the next six months.

In order to address the long-term problems facing the EU, promoting economic growth is one of the top priorities for the incoming Presidency. The economic output of Europe is what determines its strength, resilience, and global standing. Therefore the EU should continue to create the ideal conditions for a sound and open economy built on private investment, free competition, and successful digitalisation.

On February 1st, Brussels presented its ‘Green Deal Industrial Plan’ to boost Europe’s clean industries. The strategy follows the US’s recent announcement of its 'Inflation Reduction Act' to subsidise US industries to the tune of €400 billion, and China’s ongoing industrial policy that has seen the country become a leader in solar energy. "Europe is determined to lead the clean technology revolution,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

While discussions on the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) are still ongoing, boosting transatlantic trade relations will be a vital but challenging objective for Sweden's EU presidency. Geostrategic challenges, such as Russia's aggression against Ukraine, have highlighted how important coordination between the two blocs is.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Presidency Debate to learn about the role of the EU Swedish Presidency in boosting EU’s competitiveness. Discussed questions included:

- What will the EU do to help its companies to be competitive on global markets?
- What is the future of the transatlantic relationship?
- What advancements can be made in the fields of trade and digital cooperation?

In June 2022, the European Commission adopted proposals for a new Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products, which includes the new Sustainable Use of Pesticide Regulation (SUR). This SUR regulation could be the first step towards an effective and coherent pesticide reduction policy in the EU.

The regulation involves EU-wide targets to reduce by 50% the use and risk of chemical pesticides by 2030, in line with the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies. New measures will ensure that all farmers and other professional pesticide users practice Integrated Pest Management (IPM). This is an environmentally friendly system of pest control which focuses on pest prevention and prioritises alternative pest control methods, with chemical pesticides only used as a last resort.

However, these plans have not been popular among some Member States, who officially requested a further impact assessment from the European Commission on 27 December. The Commission has to submit the necessary data at the latest six months after the request came into force. There are concerns that this could potentially delay or derail moving ahead with the regulation’s ambitions.

In contrast, a recent European Parliament report pushes to increase the Commission’s 50% reduction target to 80% by 2030 for “the use of more hazardous plant protection products”. This would move the legislation closer to the demands of a recent citizens’ initiative, ‘Save bees and farmers’, which had called to aim for a general reduction of synthetic pesticides by 80%.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to learn about the proposals for a new Regulation on the Sustainable Use of Plant Protection Products.
-Are these proposals comprehensive enough to reduce the bloc’s environmental footprint?
-Is a 50% reduction in the use and risk of pesticides a feasible target for Member States to achieve?

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Fostering greater and more informed civic engagement is deemed to be an effective way to strengthen democracy and democratic values in the EU. The concept is gaining traction given the rise in populist voting patterns and the perceived democratic deficit in the EU.

Participatory budgeting, a process in which community members directly decide how to allocate a portion of a public or community budget, is an innovative solution to overcome this perceived democratic deficit and dissatisfaction among citizens. It is especially relevant when the process involves individuals who feel excluded from political and policy processes. It also serves to increase civic engagement and promote transparency and accountability.

Participatory budgeting is becoming an increasingly popular democratic tool in Europe. Globally, Europe is the region with the most participatory budgeting projects.

Whilst active citizen engagement, such as participatory budgeting, can bring democracy closer to citizens, questions remain about whether it will give a voice to the voiceless or simply amplify voices we already hear.

There are concerns about the diversity of participants such as the youth, people with migratory backgrounds, and lower-income citizens, who tend to not take part in these initiatives. Minority groups such as immigrants can struggle with language and cultural barriers.

Young people are statistically underrepresented in both national and EU parliaments. Some stakeholders argue that by letting young people decide how to spend a part of the city budget empowers them, providing a valuable lesson in civic education.

In the context of the H2020 project DEMOTEC, relisten to this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to learn the potential of participatory budgeting in the national context and at EU level. How effective are projects in fostering civic engagement and countering the democratic deficit and citizen dissatisfaction? How can participatory budgeting be inclusive for all?

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme 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.

Climate change and evolving trends in consumer behaviour have redirected the EU´s attention toward new ways of producing and consuming food to improve its safety, quality and sustainability. The EU’s Farm to Fork strategy aims at providing those fundamental changes through the use of innovation and technologies and by promoting new production models.

In this perspective, microorganisms can play an important role. Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be formulated into many different types of products, including foods and dietary supplements. Scientific evidence points to the positive functions that microbes perform as probiotics for a sustainable and healthy diet, while contributing to a low environmental impact. It is recognised that diet can modify the intestinal microbiome, which in turn has a positive impact on overall health.

Probiotics have received the attention of regulatory authorities worldwide with an interest in protecting consumers from misleading claims and information. However, the EU is in the unique situation where consumers cannot be informed about the presence of probiotics as a category of ingredients in food and food supplements. The Regulation 1924/2006 does not make any reference to probiotics. To address this shortcoming, the Commission issued a guidance on the implementation of Regulation 1924/2006 by stating that a product that “contains probiotics/prebiotics” should be considered a health claim ‘per se’.

Despite the current regulatory restrictions, the term ‘probiotic’ is used widely in the media, on many products sold online, on cosmetics and cleaning products. A large variety of probiotic products are available in several regions of the world and European consumers can purchase these products on-line.

The lack of a harmonised regulatory framework and clarity on the definition of the term “probiotics” at EU level has brought individual Member States to adopt national guidelines/rules. National guidelines have already been issued by Italy, Spain, France, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, and many European countries are allowing the use of the term ‘probiotic’ on labels and in communication. Such a situation can create uncertainty for companies and fragmentation of the Single Market, as well as confusion for consumers.

In the recent recommendation of the Fit4Future Platform (F4F) that delivered the opinions to the Commission on simplification and unnecessary cost reductions, the platform acknowledged the potential of Biosolutions and endorsed some recommendations. Notably, it suggested to improve the harmonisation of the use of the term ‘probiotics’ in the context of health claims across EU Member States to provide clarity for industry and consumers, and to develop industry guidelines for food cultures as food ingredients.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to find out about the probiotics sector, its challenges and opportunities, and how increased clarity can benefit European industry while providing better information and transparency for consumers. Addressed questions included:

- By filling the regulatory gaps to scale-up innovation capacity, what further growth can the sector achieve?

- What are the consumer expectations regarding the use of probiotics and how can these be met?

- How can the European Commission facilitate a dialogue amongst stakeholders and Member States regarding the use of the word “probiotic” and find a way forward?

- Can a harmonised approach on probiotics be reached at EU level to ensure the correct functioning of the European Single Market?

- What role does research and innovation play?

Homes, phones, and cars are smarter. Cities and villages are connected. Online platforms and digital tools contribute to efficiencies in vital industries such as waste management, emergency response, and the production of food. We all know that artificial intelligence is on the rise, as is human ingenuity.

To leverage human potential and ensure that users in Europe fully benefit from these digital solutions in an informed manner, the EU has paired Europe’s digital transition with the provision of digital skills. Under the framework of the 2030 Digital Agenda, the EU has set the target of at least 80% of all adults should have basic digital skills.

Those with a digital mindset hardly look to technology to replace people, but to perform their duties safely and more efficiently. This gives time back to staff to innovate and improve their way of working. Technical tools are emerging at impressive rates. Still, European innovators and start-ups need a sufficient labour force to test the efficacy and safety of these new technologies, before they go to European markets, and beyond. EU 27 Unicorns are in the making but need a talent pool.

EU’s Skills Agenda sets objectives, for the 2023 year of skills, around investments in lifelong learning and ensuring Europe’s competitiveness. As digital transitions advance globally, it is increasingly important to ensure that citizens are prepared to navigate the future.

Online platforms and distance learning programmes can help those currently active in the labour force surmount barriers to upskilling by eliminating commutes to classrooms and giving full-time professionals the freedom to learn at their own pace. Recognising the disparities in access to educational tools and devices, several telecommunications companies launched initiatives to distribute devices and other learning aids for students and teachers. Still, secure high-quality connectivity is an essential companion to improving digital skills and education. This is especially vital in rural and remote communities.

According to the EU proposal to make 2023 the European Year of Skills, only 37% of adults take part in training opportunities on a regular basis. The same document highlights that over 75% of companies in the EU report challenges related to finding staff with appropriate skills. Does this speak to a lack of willingness to upskill or a lack of access and the resulting opportunity loss?

This EURACTIV-GIGAEurope Digital Debate addressed the following questions:

- Are reskilling and upskilling merely a matter of mindset or are those with a willingness unable to find the right training opportunities?
- What is the European Commission doing to raise awareness and ensure that the average EU citizen can avail themselves of the educational opportunities outlined in the European Year of Skills Agenda?
- How is the Commission engaging the private sector, specifically the connectivity community?

On March 14th, the European Commission plans to publish its proposal to reform the European Electricity Market Design (EMD). Although the political discussion has focused on the short-term wholesale markets and their impact on consumer prices, in the recently closed public consultation, the Commission additionally suggested different longer-term instruments to incentivise a fast growth in renewable generation capacity as a way to help Europe become more independent from imports of Russian gas.

With growing shares of variable generation, the volatility in the electricity supply-demand balance is increasing, requiring significantly higher system flexibility. Industry stakeholders suggest that technology that ensures generation adequacy in periods of low variable renewables supply (i.e. wind, sun) should fall under the category of investments needed to create a greener and more secure energy system.

The Commission has acknowledged the importance of flexible solutions by including these in the consultation text. This suggests it’s the perfect time to involve multiple stakeholders in a full exchange on the importance of flexible solutions to the energy system we are building for ourselves and for future generations.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to learn more about “flexibility” to facilitate a more resilient energy market and a decarbonised energy system. What are the different flexibility needs and the available technical solutions? What investments are needed and how can the electricity market design benefit from these investments?

Russia’s war in Ukraine is notable for the extent to which it is being waged online. The war has been coined by the European Commission as “Russia’s disinformation war”. The rapid rise in internet coverage and the use of social media, a great success of digital advancement, has created an effective breeding ground for spreading disinformation and fake news on the war. According to the OECD, 75% of Ukrainians use the internet, and 89% of the population is covered by at least 3G mobile technology.

According to the European Media and Information Fund (EMIF), a possible approach to countering disinformation on the war in Ukraine is to create a network of media outlets and journalists covering the conflict on the ground and to ensure that they connect with media professionals, stakeholders and policymakers in the EU. Doing so, would support the voices of local journalists, equipping EU policymakers with more reliable information to explore the changes in geopolitical dynamics that the Russia-Ukraine conflict has brought.

Creating such a network could populate the social media environment, which has been the main hub for the diffusion of fake news, with more reliable, objective and impartial content. In strengthening collaboration between media outlets and journalists covering the conflict on the ground, action at local, regional and national levels could become more effective.

Trustworthy coverage of the consequences of the conflict on EU policy would strengthen EU-level action. The European Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference, which took place on 29 September 2022, highlighted the need to develop a more distinctive and centralised voice on Ukraine. According to the Parliament, appointing a single EU spokesperson with the sole task of communicating on the war and responding to narratives and misinformation coming out of Russia, could be a step towards combating the spread of false information on the war at an EU level.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Virtual Conference to learn more about the challenges associated with tackling disinformation in the context of the war in Ukraine. What role can media outlets and journalists play in fighting such disinformation? Could the creation of a network of on-the-ground media outlets and journalists, and the presence of a centralised EU voice, be effective approaches for countering disinformation on the war?

The sole responsibility for any content supported by the European Media and Information Fund lies with the author(s) and it may not necessarily reflect the positions of the EMIF and the Fund Partners, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and the European University Institute.

The EU aims to be climate-neutral by 2050 – an economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. The transition to a climate-neutral society is both an urgent challenge and an opportunity to develop new technological pathways. In this regard, CO2, H2 and O2 are showcasing themselves as allies for decarbonisation, provided they are properly exploited.

Since the energy system cannot be 100% electric, molecules will still be needed. By combining CO2, H2 and O2 with heat and electricity, it will be possible to shift away from traditional derivatives of fossil oil and gas. For example, in the transport sector, hydrogen could be a solution to fuel heavy-duty vehicles and medium-haul aircrafts. Sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) could be a good alternative for air transport, and e-fuels and methanol for shipping could materialise in the 2030-2040 decade. New industrial processes can also be developed in the cement, steel and chemical industries. All these new energy pathways are based on combinations of hydrogen, oxygen and carbon, which will ultimately be of biogenic or atmospheric origin.

As the Green Deal objective is to make the EU both climate neutral and more energy independent, it is crucial that the development of new pathways doesn’t result in new dependencies, either on hydrogen providers or on critical raw materials.

Switching directly to renewable hydrogen, direct air capture and biogenic carbon may prove difficult considering the current maturity level of these technologies. Another strategy could be to adopt a phased approach prioritising the reduction of CO2 emissions through existing technologies, such as capture and storage of CO2 coming from hydrogen production or hard to abate industries, while steadily building additional production capacities of renewable and low carbon hydrogen to match the growing energy demand.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to learn more about the potential of CO2, H2 and O2 in decarbonising the EU’s energy sector and whether a consensus can be found for "the best strategy". Discussed questions included:

- Which pathways will the use of CO2, H2 and O2 develop and in which sectors should their use be prioritised?
- How can we ensure that the use of hydrogen will not result in new dependencies?
- To what extent can carbon storage contribute to reducing the EU’s carbon footprint? Can carbon storage in the North Sea be an appropriate solution?
- Where will the carbon needed for manufacturing come from? Is direct air capture a realistic future solution?
- Is it realistic to almost double the gross electricity production of the EU to power the new energy system?
- What is the added value of the Fit for 55 and REPowerEU packages? What should be the next steps in terms of legislative developments and initiatives?
- What are the required conditions for European industry to maintain its competitiveness in developing new sustainable energy solutions? Can Europe lead America in this field?