Euractiv Talks

Advancing Europe's strategic autonomy is a key objective of the European Commission - particularly with regards to the digital domain.

The COVID pandemic has demonstrated the need to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more digital and more resilient economic and industrial model in order to maintain and strengthen Europe's aspirations for sustainable competitiveness.

Under the French Presidency the EU passed a groundbreaking piece of legislation - the Digital Markets Act. It will limit the power of gatekeeping platforms and aims to keep digital markets fair and open to competition - a prerequisite for sovereignty. Paris also supported the Commission’s plans to create trusted alternatives to non-EU offerings, by developing a European cloud ecosystem and proposing a European Digital Identity. With the new chip act, Commissioner Breton wants to reduce dependencies in the semiconductor sector, as the race for the most advanced chips is a race for technological and industrial leadership.

These are important steps, but many stakeholders are looking for more under the Czech presidency. Europe is still largely dependent on non-European companies for most of its digital life. Although the New Data Act is supposed to help the European data economy flourish, much of the industrial data generated in Europe is so far stored and processed by cloud providers abroad, and user-driven innovation comes mainly from outside the EU. To thrive economically, Europe must regain more autonomy over data and digital technology.

What other policy instruments are appropriate to strengthen European competitiveness at a time when the number of global challenges is steadily increasing? How can the Czech Presidency help realise the full potential of Digital to advance the Green transition? And how can we make sure that all actors who benefit from reliable highspeed connectivity fairly contribute to the investment in digital infrastructure, as required by ambitious connectivity targets set out by the Digital Decade 2030?

Relisten to this EURACTIV Hybrid Conference to find out about the results of the French Presidency's digital priorities and the challenges the Czech Presidency faces in advancing Europe’s green and digital transformation.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals, EU Green Deal, Paris Climate Agreement, and numerous national initiatives adopted by individual governments all reveal there is no dearth of fora and mechanisms to demonstrate the public interest and global political will to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. According to the recently published March 2022 BEREC draft report on sustainability in the connectivity sector, the digital sector’s impact is 2-4% compared to other industries.

Some industry stakeholders within the connectivity sector have gone beyond being content with these statistics. Many have already begun working towards tackling the energy intensive aspects of their operations and are currently prioritising sustainability. A number of operators have also announced their voluntary commitments to meeting ambitious goals by joining the European Green and Digital Coalition.

There is broad agreement that the ICT sector and digitalisation can have a favourable impact on international and regional climate targets, by enabling green and digital transitions. Companies in the connectivity sector claim they want to make responsible and sustainable investments. For them, one of the key challenges will be to balance their role as an enablers of green and digital transformations with operational resources required to implement their own sustainability efforts. Moreover, several of the EU’s Green Deal and Digital Decade 2030 targets require upgraded infrastructure and increased private investment.

Connectivity operators, within this consistently evolving sector, must contend with increased demand. They claim predictable and harmonised regulations will facilitate sustainable and responsible investments that also benefit consumers.

Relisten to this EURACTIV – GIGAEurope Digital Debate to find out how, through collective action and multi-stakeholder approaches, we can enable a green and digital transition that works for all. Discussed questions included:

-How does the current energy crisis, amplified by the current geopolitical situation, impact the Green Deal objectives and their implementation? How can green ICT contribute to a solution?
-What are the indices, metrics or KPIs that industry and stakeholders can agree to? How can industry, regulators, and policy makers reach a consensus on standardising data and methodologies?
-What should be taken into account when discussing the twin transition and the environmental footprint of the ICT sector?
-By what means should policy makers and stakeholders map sustainability-related actions in the sector and determine what should be counted towards these goals?

Illicit trade is a growing threat in an increasing digital and globalised economy. The World Economic Forum (WEF) estimates that over US$2.2 trillion (3% of global GDP) has been lost due to illicit trade leakages in 2020 alone. Additionally, according to the Transnational Alliance to Combat Illicit Trade, imports of counterfeit and pirated goods are worth nearly $500 billion a year.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, illicit activities have increased across different sectors such as pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol, PPE products, home and personal sanitising products, luxury goods, beauty and personal care products. Supply and demand disruptions, restricted travel and international border closures have forced criminals to adapt their networks. One of the most noticeable changes has been the shift to an online environment. In fact, law enforcement officials have reported that EU e-commerce has been a predominant medium to send fraudulent COVID-related products. But illicit trade has been a big concern for industry even before the start of the pandemic.
Over the past 20 years, there has been a criminal transformation driven by geopolitical, economic and technological shifts, that has seriously challenged certain industries. Illicit trade typically affects legitimate businesses in terms of lost market share, slower growth, damage to business infrastructure, reputational harm, rising supply chain compliance, security and insurance costs. Many stakeholders believe there is no simple solution and that illicit trade must be targeted from multiple angles. These include developing better legal and policy frameworks, tightening supply chains, improving enforcement at the border, and consumer awareness. Targeting consumer awareness is deemed increasingly important, as through good educational campaigns, people can make more informed and responsible choices.
Relisten to this EURACTIV debate to find out about the impact of illicit trade on society and economy. What are the threats they face? How can information-sharing mechanisms be strengthened? And how can government and industry work together to combat illegal trade?

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?

An estimated 67 million Europeans rely on heat provided by district heating, which is currently undergoing a decarbonisation process to achieve the goal of being climate-neutral by 2050.

However, different district heating systems are at different stages of progress towards net-zero. Some systems, particularly low-temperature district heating networks, have already been fully decarbonised through the use of technologies like heat pumps and geothermal energy. In contrast, large-scale district heating systems that require high temperatures face more limited options, such as biomass, electrode boilers (as part of power-to-heat solutions), and energy storage.

A key principle of the energy transition is to ensure that no one is left behind, including customers of district heating systems. This transition presents a range of challenges, not only technical and technological, but also regulatory and economic. These difficulties will be especially pronounced in large, densely developed cities. To address this, it is essential to establish regulatory frameworks and effective mechanisms, in line with the Fit for 55 package, that will support investment and ensure the transformation is both feasible and acceptable for heat recipients.

Listen to this Euractiv Hybrid Conference to discuss the road to net-zero of district heating systems. Questions to be discussed include:

What is the future role of district heating systems? With rising heatwaves across Europe, what potential do these systems have to provide both heating and cooling?
- What technological and regulatory solutions can be implemented to meet the new targets for energy-efficient district heating and cooling systems?
- How can the cost burden of the transformation be minimised for end users? What financial and regulatory tools are required to support the transition?
- What is the potential of power-to-heat solutions and thermal storage, and how can they complement the role of large-scale cogeneration units?
- Do heating networks pose limitations to the energy transition? How can high-temperature district heating systems be decarbonised?
- What regulatory frameworks are necessary for the district heating sector to effectively manage the transformation process?