Europe 2020 Consultation – call for submissions

[For German, click here]

The European Commission is currently running a consultation on the Europe 2020 strategy, offering a great opportunity for EU citizens like you to let the European Union know how important you think climate change targets are.

Europe 2020 is the European Union’s medium-term growth and jobs strategy. It is designed to advance the economy of the EU. Targets  include measures on employment, research and development, education, social inclusion, poverty reduction, and climate and energy.

Those targets are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 percent compared to 1990 levels, or 30 percent if possible, while increasing renewable energy to 20 percent of energy consumption, and achieving a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency. These headline targets have been translated into national targets in each EU country (which can be found here).

2014 is a year of change for the European Union as a new Commission takes over from the one that decided the 2020 targets. In terms of climate policy there have already been alarming signs that the new Commission may subordinate climate and environmental policy to energy or more broadly economic concerns. Following a paper taking stock of the Europe 2020 strategy earlier this year (which can be read here) the Commission has decided to review the strategy, looking for your views on the matter.

This consultation is a great opportunity for EU citizens like you to let the European Commission know what you think and to emphasise the importance of following climate related targets. It is an opportunity for European citizens to send a clear and unequivocal message to the European Commission: that climate change is central to any future policies, and ignoring it is to return to an outdated view of the world.

Click here to see QCEA’s model answers in Open Office format and here to see them as a pdf. Please feel free to use our answers as a basis for your own response to the consultation which closes on the 31st of October 2014. The Commission has indicated that they may disregard duplicate responses, so we encourage you to modify your answers at least somewhat. Downloadable versions of the questionnaire and more background information can be found here.