Brussels, 09/03/2015 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 6 March in Brussels, EU Environment Ministers said that the efficient use of resources has a key role to play in reducing environmental pressures that put a brake on European growth and the ability of the EU and its member states to develop a circular economy, sustainable growth and competitiveness.
Their exchange of views on the new boost to green the so-called “European Semester” budgetary process (this kicked off with the European Commission publishing the annual examination of growth for this year) provided an opportunity for the Environment Council to demand that resources efficiency in the future be included in this decisive exercise for the annual economic policy coordination cycle and the revised “EUROPE 2020” strategy.
At the end of the Environment Council, chaired by Kaspars Gerhards, the Latvian minister for the environment, the latter stated, “we called on the European Commission to put forward proposals to include resources efficiency in the European Semester and to help the EU make the transition to the circular economy. Innovation and digital aspects are important. There are numerous synergies between resources efficiency and digital aspects, which need to be explored in order to shift to the circular economy. This comes at a particularly timely moment to contribute to the future digital single market strategy”.
The European Commission will present this future digital strategy next May (see EUROPE 11268). Smart energy consumption regulatory systems, as well as smart houses, energy networks, cities and cars are among the positive repercussions to be expected in terms of environmental protection and efficient use of resources.
In October 2014, the Environment Council approved the European Semester's greening priorities as part of the mid-term review for the EUROPE 2020 strategy (see EUROPE 11186).
The results from this new exchange of views will be taken into account by the Latvian Presidency of the Council in the summary report of the contributions on the European Semester from all the different Council groupings, which will be submitted to the European Council on 19-20 March. (Aminata Niang)