Brussels, 14/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - During his meeting on 9 February in Brussels with the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, Staffan Nilsson explained to the former in what way the Council could benefit from the work undertaken by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC). Nilsson explained that civil society was formulating concrete proposals and recommendations for both the EU 2020 strategy and the European semester.
In this context, the president of the EESC explained to Herman Van Rompuy the contribution brought by organised civil society hoped to the European Council on 4 February in the energy field (EUROPE 10308 and 10307). In an effort to find an exit strategy from the impasse created by the disagreement between EU member states over the principle of a binding 20% target in increasing energy efficiency by 2020, the EESC proposed a concrete solution: they called for the application of targets to sectors such as the transport and construction industries, which are not included in the EU CO2 emissions trading scheme. In its declaration addressed to the European summit, the EESC highlighted the fact that the EU should stick to its commitments and attain the 20-20-20 targets.
Nilsson informed Van Rompuy that the EESC would prepare an opinion containing concrete proposals for activities that would help enhance energy efficiency. These would be based on energy consumer practices and the usual behaviour patterns of EU citizens. He also told him about his conviction that it was not possible to make progress unless there was full and direct cooperation and participation from actors from civil society, the business community, workers and consumers. (G.B./transl.fl)