Documents Kustova, Irina 4 results

Climate change policy cannot be the first priority of the EU for the immediate future. However, in spite of the corona-crisis the urgency of climate change mitigation has not disappeared. The post-corona recovery can both put the EU's decarbonisation progress back on track – after low-carbon investments will inevitably take a hit – but the EU's Green Deal proposals can likewise support the general economic recovery. It will be important to ensure that recovery measures are compatible with global climate change and European Green Deal priorities so that stimulus money will flow to economic activities that have a place in a climate-neutral world. As time passes, the re-launch may actually offer a unique opportunity for the EU to live up to the Green Deal's promise of economic modernisation along the Paris decarbonisation objectives. The period we have until the relaunch should be used to develop a new agenda. These ideas will not per se be off-the-shelf but go beyond current solutions for decarbonisation. Instead of tinkering around the margins, the EU should focus on transformational technologies, and for example go big on low-carbon infrastructure, efficient buildings, and lead markets to boost demand for climate-neutral industry."

"Southeast European countries start from a different point in the transition to the European Green Deal. They face systemic challenges both in their energy markets and in implementing the EU's energy acquis – issues could be addressed through a more regionally focused approach, argue the authors.
This report looks at three countries in the region that have been sometimes seen as reluctant to embrace this transition: Bulgaria, Greece and Romania. The analysis considers the status of their wholesale and retail markets; interconnectivity and market coupling; the independence of national regulatory authorities, and the obstacles to the adopting the energy acquis."

"The Covid-19 crisis has laid bare the vulnerability of coal regions. Economic recovery and associated funding, as well as the need for new low-carbon solutions, offers a unique opportunity to address the transition of coal regions. The combination of worsening economics of coal and the increasingly universal move towards carbon neutrality makes redeveloping coal regions a priority.
The EU is home to a large number of successful coal region transitions, many of which are ongoing. In one way or another, long-term environmental, sustainable and low-carbon technologies and business solutions are becoming a central element of the transition.
Special Economic Zones (SEZ) are geographically limited areas where companies' operations are governed by specific rules on taxation, public funding for infrastructure, simplified planning procedures, the provision of specialised business services and attractive living and working conditions. They can play a decisive role in accelerating the economic development of regions affected by economic decline or stagnation.
Effective planning and programming, good governance and the engagement of local stakeholders and the local economy are preconditions for attracting long-term sustainable private investment. Getting governance right has proved to be one of the key determinants of successful transition.
Public funding will also be required, but only as one of the enabling tools, for example to build infrastructure, clean up sites for training and retraining and, more generally, to ease the transition.The EU Recovery and Resilience Facility together with EU budgetary sources, based on the Territorial Just Transition Plans for example, will be able to provide sufficient public money to catalyse private investment where regional plans are sufficiently developed."

"This study, commissioned by the European Parliament's Policy Department for Citizens' Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the FEMM Committee, assesses whether a gender dimension has been incorporated into the initiatives proposed under the Fit for 55 package and whether a gender-sensitive approach was used in its formulation. Examples are given of good practice for gender mainstreaming in energy and climate policy. Recommendations are made to close identified gender gaps in policies and processes."