Brussels: Europe and the Arabs
In an opinion adopted at its plenary session in March, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) emphasized that wind energy is a key element of the green transition, citing the need for expanded and modernized energy grids, social and environmental criteria in auctions and comprehensive plans. Public participation.
A strong wind energy industry can improve the environmental, economic and social well-being of the European Union. This is the main idea of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee drafted by Thomas Cutnig and adopted in the plenary session in March, according to the statement of the Brussels-based Economic and Social Committee, which was distributed on Monday morning. “And in the face of increasing pressure from international competitors,” the statement added. Like China, the EU needs to strengthen the wind energy industry and promote the development of wind energy. To achieve this result, the bloc must significantly expand, modernize and digitize its grid infrastructure, and at the same time, it must create the corresponding storage infrastructure.
According to the European statement, the European wind energy industry is an important pillar of the green transition. Mr. Cutnig said: The development of wind energy interconnection, transmission and distribution networks will make it possible to integrate a significantly increasing volume of wind energy into the energy system. The statement explained that network auctions must adhere to environmental, labor and social standards.
Wind energy must be viewed as critical infrastructure, with all corresponding concessions and due diligence obligations, and all tender and permit approval procedures must be digitalized and expedited urgently and completely.
In addition, when organizing auctions to determine how to allocate funds to renewable energy, it is necessary to apply high pre-qualification standards to ensure that all bidders comply with stringent environmental, labor and social standards.
Companies must always adhere to occupational security and safety, collective bargaining, social and environmental requirements such as the need to promote the circular economy.
Purely price-based auctions encourage a race to the bottom that harms the environment and workers and puts companies eager to contribute, for example through investments in environmental protection and biodiversity, at a disadvantage.

Energy communities are an important source of wind energy
The participation of citizens and organized civil society remains essential. The energy transition will only be successful if they are invited to become active drivers. Without their participation, the social acceptance of this transition is at risk, and wind energy will be at risk as well.
Energy communities, energy cooperatives and energy sharing are valuable tools for promoting wind energy deployment and represent an interesting form of proposal extending from three perspectives: social (participation and acceptance), economic (mobilization of additional capital), and energy (generation). closer to the request).
The European Commission should therefore recognize its important contribution in the social, economic and energy efficiency fields by including effective citizen participation as the seventh pillar of the proposed wind energy action plan.
It is noteworthy that in October 2023, the European Commission presented a European action plan for wind energy to ensure that the transition to clean energy goes hand in hand with industrial competitiveness and that wind energy remains a European success story.
The action plan will help keep the wind energy supply chain healthy and competitive, with a clear and secure portfolio of projects, attracting the necessary financing and competing on an equal footing globally. It is accompanied by a message on achieving the EU's marine energy ambition, including wind energy, and following up on the EU Marine Renewable Energy Strategy adopted three years ago.
The Action Plan sets out immediate actions to be taken together by the European Commission, Member States and industry, building on existing policies and legislation and focusing on six key areas:

• Accelerate deployment through increased predictability and faster permitting.

• Improved auction design.

• Access to finance;

• A fair and competitive international environment.

• Extensive skills partnerships in renewable energy.

• Industry participation and commitments of member states.