Brussels, 25/05/2009 (Agence Europe) - Meeting in plenary session on 13-14 May, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) adopted two opinions in the area of energy. The first called for the swift implementation of priority energy projects and the second set out specific recommendations on education and training needs for a carbon-free energy society. The opinion by rapporteur Daniel Retureau (Group II, Employees, France) on Community financial assistance for energy projects (investment in gas and electricity interconnections, sustainable energy and technologies, such as offshore wind farms and carbon capture and storage) that form part of the European recovery plan, welcomes the idea of allocating unused 2008 funding for energy projects which are designed to kick-start the European economy. Retureau said that this use of funding was an appropriate long-term vision for tackling the crisis and would encourage industrial development in the future. The EESC agreed with the general approach endorsed by the European Parliament on 7 May (see EUROPE 9896), but called for it to be implemented rapidly. It regretted, however, that the measures proposed were generally too modest given its rapid and widespread impact on jobs and businesses, and that stronger proposals and clearer signals had not been given over the last few months. On the basis of the opinion by Edgardo Iozia (Group II, Employees, Italy) on education and training needs for a carbon-free energy economy, the EESC, aware of the key role that the education of people of all ages and training of technicians and graduates in moving towards a “zero-emissions” society, was unhappy that government initiatives on education and training had hitherto been totally insufficient. Iozia's opinion contained a number of specific recommendations for stakeholders (teachers, local authorities, companies, trade unions, NGOs, architects and member states) and highlighted the importance of investment in low carbon energy. (E.H./transl.rt)