[20.02.2021] Conference Report Available: Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)

The Conference on Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal was held on 20 April 2021. The publication is available in six languages (EN, FR, IT, DE, ES, LV) and can be downloaded from the EESC’s website.  

While the issue of access to energy and clean energy will dominate the EU’s political narrative in the years ahead, the level of energy expenditure is potentially a barrier that risks creating even more poverty and social exclusion. Tackling energy poverty at EU level can at the same time help to achieve climate neutrality goals, reduce inequalities in the European Union and in parallel support the recovery from the economic crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These are the three pillars serving as input into the deliberations of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), which held an online conference on Tuesday 20 April 2021 on Energy poverty at the crossroads of the European Pillar of Social Rights and the European Green Deal that sought to showcase an issue that still affects more than 7% of Europe’s population. Held jointly by the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, the Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship and the Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment, the event brought together high-level representatives from European civil society, the Brussels institutions, national and local authorities and academia. 

 Please note that all the conference material, including the presentations and livestreaming videos, as well as the conclusions of the conference, are available on the EESC’s event website