Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, this week presented the proposal for new Commissioners. Swedish Jessika Roswall was given the environment, water and circular economy portfolio. At the same time, there are other commissioners for climate, sustainable transport and clean transition. It may seem confusing, but behind the titles lies the fact that while the Commission's mantra is strengthening competitiveness, much of the work will continue to be about the European Green Deal.
The European Green Deal, in essence, is about the EU Member States' journey towards climate neutrality by 2050. Along the way, an almost comprehensive policy reform program has been launched, from the phasing out of internal combustion engines by 2035 to the plastic caps on cola bottles. The next major milestone is 2030, when the EU will have reduced emissions by 55% compared to 1990.
The last parliamentary term was dominated by promises of how the Green Deal would tackle the climate threat while making Europe a world leader in green technology and creating millions of new jobs. Now, however, all indications are that the focus will be on implementation and dealing with the fact that while the EU has been good at creating new regulations, the US and China have been good at building green industries.
Heavy regulation and public control of investments have proven, as many times before, to be a dangerous mix. In Sweden, there are daily reports of how Northvolt, built with the support of Swedish and European taxpayers' money, is heading for collapse. But this is not an isolated phenomenon. Sales of electric cars have failed, wind power development is struggling and project after project in new climate-neutral fuels is being scrapped due to a lack of economic conditions. The list is long.
It is in this context that EPHI's new venture into Brussels should be seen. We are driven by a conviction of the necessity of a sustainable society, but all the good intentions in the world will not lead us there if the way it is done is fundamentally wrong. Human creativity, a free market and the best possible use of our common resources are values and principles that must remain at the center.
To this end, we will progressively highlight phenomena, failures and reforms that we consider important to discuss in order to move the EU towards greater prosperity, innovation and sustainability. The planning and work on our first EU report is already underway, but any input, tips or suggestions for collaboration are highly appreciated. Don't hesitate to get in touch and we hope you will join us on our European journey!
Erik Persson, responsible for EPHI's activities in Brussels
