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Video available: EUFORES EUSEW2020 high-level debate on EU Green Deal & the ways out of the COVID19 crisis

Category: news, press release

 

The EUFORES event on the EU green deal & the ways out of the Covid-19 crisis: a high-level debate about the Greening of the EU recovery, took place on Tuesday 23 June, during the EUSEW2020 main session on energy transition. This session was classified among the most successful ones with 659 viewers.

This high-level debate gathered members of the European Parliament, members of national parliaments, and the European Commission to debate on the most critical elements and essential steps of the green recovery while ensuring that the development of renewables and energy efficiency are considered as key elements of the economic recovery and of the climate solutions. Politicians from different political groups provided their perspectives on how the EU can move forward and turn this catastrophic health situation into a jump forward into future technologies, infrastructures, energy sources and societal behaviours.

Despite their political positions, speakers agreed on the need of considering the pandemic crisis as an opportunity to design a just transition that brings the economy back on track, while contributing to mitigating climate change. 

Electrification, the hydrogen strategy, the energy system integration strategy, the sustainable innovation wave, and the offshore renewable energy strategy were widely discussed among the speakers as key political priorities of the EU agenda.

Representatives of the Parliament raised the question of introducing controlling mechanisms with strong conditionality and monitoring tools to ensure that the EU funds, such as the Just Transition Fund, are used only for sustainable energy production solutions. Investing in energy efficiency and renewable energies research and innovation, engaging private companies, creating local jobs, and raising EU targets were presented as key aspects of the EU green economic recovery.

Speakers included: Ciaran CUFFE, MEP, European Parliament, Kadri SIMSON, EU Commissioner for Energy, European Commission, Francesco LA CAMERA, Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Maria da Graça CARVALHO, MEP, European Parliament, Katalin CSEH, MEP, European Parliament, Niels FUGLSANG, MEP, European Parliament, Nicolas CASARES GONZALEZ, MEP, European Parliament, Cristina Madalina PRUNA, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Romania, and Saara-Sofia SIREN, Member of Parliament, Parliament of Finland.

A recording of the live streaming is available on YouTube.