Event report

The war in Ukraine versus the EU's climate goals – What will be the future of the industry in a climate-neutral Europe? (In Bratislava, 14.3.2021) On 14 March 2022, a panel discussion entitled 'The future of industry in a climate-neutral Europe' took place. Representatives of employers, employees, the third sector and the state administration discussed together how the conflict in Ukraine can affect the EU's ambitious climate goals and how to ensure the Energy Security and Independence of the European Union (EU). The debate was held under the auspices of the EESC as part of a series of events "Conferences on the Future of Europe and in cooperation with the Representation of the European Commission (EC) in Slovakia. The green transition of European industry and the tools to ensure climate neutrality have been one of the Commission's key priorities in recent years. However, the coronavirus pandemic, which has crippled individual economies of the world and the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, can greatly complicate the achievement of the set goals. The key issue of recent days is how to ensure the energy security and independence of the EU and the individual Member States. "Unfortunately, Slovakia is one of the countries most dependent on Russian oil (100%) and gas (85%) supplies. The European Union has the full support of European employers in its actions towards Russia, but it must be stressed that the raw material and energy security of the Union and its member countries must be a priority – otherwise Slovakia would not be an exception," said Martin Hošták, Secretary of the RUZ and member of the EESC. There are a number of tools to improve the EU's energy security, including joint procurement of raw materials within the EU, diversification of energy sources, and an increase in the share of renewable energy sources. "Slovakia's dependence on Russian gas and energy supplies is gradually decreasing – in the current situation, it is crucial to increase this pace. There are several options, whether it is decarbonization of industry, reduction of household consumption, transition to renewable energy sources, renovation of houses and construction of more energy-efficient buildings, or even prolonged life of nuclear power plants," said Lívia Vašáková, Director General of the Recovery and Resilience Plan section of the Slovak Republic. The participants also agreed on the need to review the EU Green Deal. The possibility of nuclear being classified as a traditional energy source also needs to be discussed, while hydrogen may be an alternative to the future. Employers consider the core to be a reasonable compromise – it is an environmentally sustainable, stable, predictable and cost-effective energy source, which, moreover, contributes significantly to the decarbonization goals of Slovakia and the EU. "Along with the next steps of the EU, there must also be stronger support in the field of education and innovation – for example, in Slovakia we currently have an acute shortage of nuclear technicians and specialists – these fields of study are not even possible to study in our country. It is the promotion of education and innovation that will determine the future of Europe and how we will ultimately manage the predetermined goals, which unfortunately have been hit by external factors," concluded EESC member and former Rector of the Slovak University of Technology and former President of the Slovak Rectors' Conference, Vladimír Báleš.