Clean Energy for All Europeans – unlocking Europe's growth potential

EU News 393/2016

Brussels, 30 November 2016

The European Commission today presents a package of measures to keep the European Union competitive as the clean energy transition is changing the global energy markets.

The Commission wants the EU to lead the clean energy transition, not only adapt to it. For this reason the EU has committed to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030 while modernising the EU's economy and delivering on jobs and growth for all European citizens. Today's proposals have three main goals: putting energy efficiency first, achieving global leadership in renewable energies and providing a fair deal for consumers.

Consumers are active and central players on the energy markets of the future. Consumers across the EU will in the future have a better choice of supply, access to reliable energy price comparison tools and the possibility to produce and sell their own electricity. Increased transparency and better regulation give more opportunities for civil society to become more involved in the energy system and respond to price signals. The package also contains a number of measures aimed at protecting the most vulnerable consumers.

(…)

The Commission's “Clean Energy for All Europeans” proposals are designed to showt hat the clean energy transition is the growth sector of the future - that's where the smart money is. Clean energies in 2015 attracted global investment of over 300 billion euros. The EU is well placed to use our research, development and innovation policies to turn this transition into a concrete industrial opportunity. By mobilising up to 177 billion euros of public and private investment per year from 2021, this package can generate up to 1% increase in GDP over the next decade and create 900,000 new jobs.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-16-4009_en.htm

Twitter: @EU_Commission URL

• Tweet