Rapporteur Talks

In its effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050, the European Union has been looking at ways to raise the share of renewables in the EU’s final energy consumption.

A first Renewable Energy Directive (RED I) adopted in 2009, followed by a second (RED II) in 2018, have led to the implementation of increasingly stringent sustainability and greenhouse gas emission reduction requirements for certain bioenergy sectors.

In July 2021, the European Commission submitted a new proposal for the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) to the European Parliament and the Council, strengthening the sustainability and greenhouse gas reduction criteria, especially for forest biomass, following a study by the JRC. The Council and the Parliament adopted their positions which will be the basis for the ongoing trilogue negotiations.

The position adopted by the European Parliament introduces a new definition of primary woody biomass that refers to all wood taken directly from forests with a few exceptions. This definition includes residues from responsible forest management such as small wood, branches on the ground, crowns, etc. This definition is then used to cap the use of "primary woody biomass" and make it ineligible for financial support. Some stakeholders question the logic of the European Parliament gradually reducing the share of primary wood counted as renewable energy while at the same time asking for an increased RES target of 45% by 2030.

Many industry stakeholders claim that wood energy is a consequence of responsible forest management, a necessary by-product of forest maintenance, timber production and support to the forest in the face of climate change. They assert that forest biomass is thus a renewable, low carbon energy source, creating local jobs and contributing to the EU's climate and energy independence objectives.

Some countries in the wood-energy sector that rely on wood as their primary source of renewable energy have expressed concern. They argue that the definition of the European Parliament, which includes residues from good forest management, puts the entire wood energy sector at risk, and more broadly, renders the responsible management of forests more difficult in the face of climate change.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to learn about the proposal regarding the introduction of a new definition of primary woody biomass in the revision of RED II and its implications for the wood-energy sector, in the framework of the ongoing trilogue negotiations.

One aspect of the European Commission’s Farm to Fork Strategy, aimed at a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, is to combat negative health impacts. As part of this, new technologies and scientific discoveries, combined with increasing public awareness and demand for sustainable food, are employed to put food systems on a sustainable path and strengthen citizen access to nutritious and sustainable food.

Technological advances and digital tools can also provide support when it comes to consumer choice. Algorithms could suggest tailored options to consumers based on health profiling and consumer history, genetic research and health data. To facilitate this, and prepare our societies for the future, some stakeholders argue that the front-of-pack nutritional label currently being reviewed by the European Commission needs to take a different, more progressive approach.

They claim that the current use of different front-of-pack schemes in the internal market could result in additional costs for businesses, consumer confusion and a lack of trust. To avoid this, a common approach amongst Member States has been proposed. They want legislation to be updated to take account of how our future diets are likely to look.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out the opportunities and challenges facing the EU regarding front-of-pack labelling. Is there scope for a future where our smart devices and AI provide us with all the relevant information we need to eat or purchase based on our personal data? What steps need to be taken in this direction? And how can citizens be provided with the necessary information to make the right nutritional choices, especially those with health deficiencies?

As part of the EU’s Farm to Fork Strategy, at the end of the year the European Commission will propose a harmonised mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labelling system. This is designed to help consumers make informed, sustainable and health-conscious food choices across Member States. The Commission’s proposal will also include setting up nutrient profiles to restrict the promotion of foods high in fat, sugars and/or salt with the aim of facilitating a shift to healthier diets and to drive food reformulation.

There is a lot at stake for consumer choice. According to the wider food and beverage industry, the upcoming proposal should be easy to interpret and, based on dietary guidelines, ensure that consumers are well informed about the nutritional benefits of food and drink products. But some industry stakeholders are concerned that the focus of EU policymakers on specific nutrients risks entrenching negative perceptions around certain food products, despite scientific evidence that supports their positive contribution to European diets.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out the importance of a balanced approach in assessing the nutritional benefits of beverages and food products. What are the potential implications of a new, mandatory front-of-pack labelling system to help inform consumer choices? Taking the example of the fruit juice sector, the debate discussed the latest policy developments, industry perspectives and scientific research in this area and look ahead at what to expect in 2023.

The world today faces an unprecedented hunger crisis that requires a bold international response. There are currently six countries at immediate risk of famine - half of which are in East Africa: Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In Somalia, more than 50% of the population need emergency food aid. These emergencies risk recurring in the future as the region is exposed to further climate and conflict shocks.

The European Union has so far shown global leadership in this crisis. However, it is clear that much greater efforts will be needed to save lives and livelihoods in the region. Many non-governmental organisations claim that if humanitarian assistance is not scaled up significantly and rapidly, the lives of millions of people are at stake - more people will die of hunger, more livelihoods will be at risk, more will become displaced, and more will face protection risks.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out  how the EU can better address the food crisis in Eastern Africa. Discussed questions included:
- What can be done to avert the worst of a deepening food crisis in East Africa?
- Has the EU's response been robust enough so far?
- What lessons must be learned from this crisis to make the humanitarian system fit for the future?

The EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act is the first legal framework on AI. It aims to provide developers, deployers and users with clear guidelines on the development and use of AI. It also aims to reduce administrative and financial costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and encourage investment and innovation in AI. But for cost-conscious SMEs, there is a fine line striking the right balance between regulation and innovation.

European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) could play a role in reducing the cost of adoption of the AI Act for SMEs. EDIHs aim to support companies to respond to digital challenges and become more competitive. They can provide technical expertise and testing, and stir digital transformation, while supporting conformity assessment. This can in turn create a network of EDIHs with their own specialisations in certain markets and areas of application and lead to achieving economies of scale and scope.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out how the AI Act can support a thriving economy for SMEs and what the implications of the AI Act are for this sector. Can a trustworthy and innovative AI ecosystem be designed? And can the costs for SMEs actually be lower thanks to the AI Act?

Disease prevention is one of the fundamental functions of public health. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the devastating impact of infectious diseases on adult health, quality of life, mortality and resilience, and importantly, the functioning of our healthcare systems and the global economy. These devastating impacts on our society reinforced the importance of adult immunisation as a key path to return to a “new normal”.

It is argued that we need a more robust adult vaccination strategy in Europe, particularly for adults aged over 50, who experience a steeper decline in their immune systems from that age as well as chronic diseases. OECD data across 26 countries show that more than one third of people aged 16 and over live with a longstanding illness or health problem. As populations age, the prevalence of chronic conditions, including multimorbidity, rises, leading to a higher risk of complications, including cardiovascular diseases, from Vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), that can reduce the quality of life, with a potential loss of independence.

For decades, many countries have had solid childhood immunisation strategies. However, until the Covid-19 pandemic, adult immunisation programmes were rarely at the core of the public health debate.

Studies indicate that the proportion of adults aged over 50 in the European Union is projected to reach 50% by 2025. This demographic trend increases the importance of advancing prevention measures, specifically routine adult immunisation programmes, as a public health priority.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out the potential of adult immunisation to fight vaccine-preventable diseases and the pressure such programmes would have on our healthcare systems.

The current geopolitical context has exposed several shortcomings of the EU energy system, leaving households and industry to face sharp energy price increases. The role of natural gas as a transitional energy carrier is now uncertain. Industries relying on a mix of natural gas and hydrogen for their GHG emissions reduction are having to reconsider their investment plans.

We are witnessing the beginning of major changes in industrial value chains and the energy sector, induced by heightened climate change policy targets. Industry and citizens are looking for a vigorous EU hydrogen market, one that will be able to deliver renewable and low carbon hydrogen in large volumes and in the shortest time-frame possible, bringing us closer to a climate neutral society.

However, this has to be created from the very beginning, with currently no hydrogen economy in place, nor the basic infrastructure to deliver it to end-consumers. The Commission proposals on an EU framework to decarbonise gas markets, promote hydrogen and reduce methane emissions are set to deliver on this ambitious agenda, trying to solve the most pressing issues we are experiencing today.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out how to ramp up hydrogen production and speed up the steel industry's transition in the current context of an unprecedented energy crisis. Discussed questions included:

- What are the key requirements to create a well-functioning hydrogen market?

- Will the EU Gas & Hydrogen package be fit to deliver and ramp up hydrogen production in a short timeframe?

- Can the decarbonisation of the steel industry be a proof of success for the hydrogen framework itself?

- Should the EU consider prioritising the limited volumes of hydrogen available before 2030 to the industrial sectors most in need?

Die neue Gemeinsame EU-Agrarpolitik (GAP) tritt nächstes Jahr in Kraft. Ab 2023 sollen die Reformen - unter anderem in den Bereichen Fairness, Nachhaltigkeit und Wettbewerbsfähigkeit - wirksam gemacht werden. GAP und Green Deal gehen Hand in Hand, das ist eines der großen Versprechen der EU-Agrarreform.

Begünstigte erhalten zum Beispiel nur dann Zahlungen, wenn sie sich an bestimmte ökologische Bedingungen halten. Damit trägt Landwirtschaft einen bedeutenden Teil zum Europäischen Green Deal bei, dem Ziel, bis 2050 emissionsfrei zu sein.

Auch Deutschland hat Anfang des Jahres seine Pläne zur neuen GAP vorgelegt, doch der Beginn des Krieges in der Ukraine hat die Debatte neu aufleben lassen. Aufgrund der globalen Getreideknappheit hat die Kommission als Ausnahmeregelung erlaubt, die Umweltauflagen zu lockern. Das bedeutet, es ist den Mitgliedstaaten selbst überlassen, ob sie die Möglichkeit annehmen.

Landwirtschaftsminister Cem Özdemir hat auf eine Anpassung der Reform zunächst kritisch reagiert. Mittlerweile ist es zu einem Kompromiss gekommen. Landwirt:innen dürfen im nächsten Jahr Getreide auf Brachflächen anbauen, Flächen, die ursprünglich zur Erhaltung von Biodiversität nicht bewirtschaftet werden sollten.

Ist die Ausnahmereglung der neuen GAP auf Kosten der Nachhaltigkeitsziele gerechtfertigt? Wie sollte sich der deutsche Landwirtschaftsektor in Zeiten dieser globalen Ernährungskrise positionieren?

Diese und weitere Fragen werden in EURACTIVs virtuellen Stakeholder Workshop diskutiert. Das Event findet im Rahmen des Projektes DG AGRI statt.

Hardly a day goes by in Brussels without a reference being made to Europe’s digital sovereignty, although interpretations of this concept tend to vary. At the same time, Europe finds itself in the midst of a geopolitical world where security, economic stability, and the protection of democratic values are increasingly dependent upon cooperation among democratic states.

Against this background, the EU started the EU-US Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in June 2021, which aims to deepen transatlantic cooperation, particularly in trade, investment and digital matters.

Some observers see deviations between on the one hand the TTC ambitions and some of the EU’s sovereignty-inspired regulatory proposals in the EU, such as the EUCS draft on cybersecurity, or the EU’s Standardisation Strategy. Aligning Europe’s digital sovereignty with its transatlantic agenda will be key to achieve Europe’s digital ambitions.

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to learn how Europe can foster its digital growth while embracing international co-operation.