Energy & Climate Winter Package

Commenting on the European Commission’s Energy Union winter package, the European Trade Union Confederation

  •          Acknowledges the Winter package as a wide-ranging set of initiatives making EU climate and energy policy more solid and credible, despite major uncertainties on how the EU will become world leader in Renewable Energy and on how the EU will be able to approach carbon neutrality by 2050 with non-binding targets;
  •          Strongly supports the focus on the specific needs of workers from regions relying on coal and other carbon intensive activities, and the proposal to set up platforms to discuss industrial roadmaps and skills needs with local stakeholders;
  •          Backs the measures to tackle energy poverty, requiring Member States to implement energy efficiency as a priority in households affected by energy poverty and in social housing;
  •          Welcomes the attempt to build a forward-looking and comprehensive governance system;  
  •          Calls on Member states to include social impact assessments, and involve trade unions and employers, in their national energy and climate plans;
  •          Regrets the package does not mention setting up a Just Transition Fund as part of the revision of the EU ETS for the period 2021-2030.

Montserrat Mir, ETUC Confederal Secretary said “This is an important and detailed package that sets the future of EU climate and energy policy. For the first time EU climate policy recognises the needs of workers in regions dependent on coal and high-carbon industries.”  

“Without workers seeing a future for themselves, people are not going to support climate action, however much it is needed. Today’s package is a step in the right direction even if there are serious questions about the effectiveness of non-binding targets.”