The Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE) published on Tuesday 24 September a report with more than 50 recommendations for the von der Leyen Commission and the new European Parliament to rethink the regulation of digital, energy and mobility by 2024.
Digital. Among the proposals related to the digital sector, CERRE suggests stimulating the development of digital platforms in Europe by establishing a single set of rules for the entire EU market and ensuring their implementation by a European regulator.
The organisation also recommends that the EU focus on creating the right conditions for investment and development of 5G infrastructure, a technology that is under debate as to its impact on internal security (see EUROPE 12270/5), health and the environment.
While 171 scientists from 37 countries had called in September 2017 for a moratorium on the deployment of 5G until the potential risks to health and the environment had been independently scientifically investigated, the Commission for its part considered that electromagnetic wave emissions from 5G would not exceed the public exposure limits set by Council Recommendation 1999/519/EC (see EUROPE 12258/8).
On security risks, Commissioner Julian King recently indicated that all Member States had submitted their national assessments on this subject and recalled that the Commission was planning to present a report on them in October (see EUROPE 12326/14).
Energy. In the field of energy, CERRE recommends in particular extending the scope of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to more sectors, such as transport - a possibility which was also discussed at the last Transport Council (see EUROPE 12332/1) – and agriculture, with a coverage of at least 85% of all emitting sectors.
Mobility. On mobility, the report recommends, inter alia, supporting smart and economically viable investments to improve rail infrastructure, while focusing on technological changes to reduce vehicle emissions. Finally, CERRE encourages the EU to consider a European approach to additional levies on air tickets or kerosene taxes, a request made by Northern European countries such as the Netherlands and Luxembourg (see EUROPE 12283/11), but criticised, not surprisingly, by island states, particularly Malta and Cyprus (see EUROPE 12328/9).
See the report: https://bit.ly/2kQuh92 (Damien Genicot – internship)