25.5.2023
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 184/47
2.7.
The report does not adequately take into account the fact that the digital divide between the EU's different regions jeopardises achieving the twin transition objectives.
The next strategic report must take into account these divides and the possible consequences from the social point of view and in terms of the opportunities available.
2.8.
The EESC knows that digital technologies can have a positive impact on achieving the climate objectives, not least by strengthening energy security, and that the green transition also has the potential to transform the digital sector and the economy.
In this regard, the EESC welcomes the numerous references to the need for investment in technology and for appropriate policies to achieve the objectives, and also endorses the references to the need to adopt cybersecurity measures to protect strategic technologies.
2.9.
On multiple occasions, the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report emphasises the energy needs stemming from digitalisation and from the consumption generated by networks, systems and devices, offset by the increased efficiency and sustainability of the processes to which they are applied (agriculture, logistics, cloud computing, etc.).
The references to the need to improve energy efficiency and for Europe to restore a greater focus on the sector's circular economy (from access to raw materials to the management of electronic waste and the development of advanced digital technologies) appear timely.
2.10.
However, it would be appropriate to mention in more explicit terms the sustainability and energy-saving benefits associated with the digital transition (going paperless and ‘substituting’), thus helping to strengthen the buy-in of the public and policy-makers to the value and impact of these profound transformation processes.
2.11.
Among the changes associated with digitalisation, there is no reference to cryptocurrencies and digital currencies.
In fact, their growing prevalence is directly related to the all-pervasive nature of digitalisation and the development of blockchain technology, the flows of which go beyond States' regulatory capacities, leaving ample room for the illegal economy to operate.
The EESC therefore points to the need for a dedicated section in the strategic foresight report for interpretation and analysis on the use of cryptocurrencies and digital currencies, and encourages the Commission to adopt and implement a single regulatory framework in line with the G20 conclusions.
2.12.
The EESC welcomes the dedicated section in the foresight report on agriculture because, unlike with many other areas, it places the role of European policy and its central position in determining future developments at the centre of the foresight.
In this case, the report specifies actions to be taken by the EU to prevent risky backsliding, unlike what is generally the case in the other areas under analysis.
2.13.
EU food systems should be more diversified; the agricultural workforce should be strengthened especially by attracting young people and ensuring decent working conditions and remuneration; trade policies should be aligned with EU food sustainability standards and competitiveness.
Concentration in food chains and financial ownership should also be addressed as well as market transparency, to ensure that future crises will not be exacerbated by excessive commodity speculation.
2.14.
The EESC wishes to highlight that in the current geopolitical context, access to critical raw materials is crucial, not only for achieving the twin transition objectives, but above all for maintaining and strengthening the European industrial system and also for social, economic and employment resilience.
To this end, the EESC suggests that the Commission carry out a more detailed in-depth analysis through appropriate analysis (also from a geopolitical point of view) and forecasting tools.
2.15.
The EESC points out that water and water resources, referred to several times in the report, constitute not only a problem but also an area of potential, especially with regard to improving water efficiency, resource management and awareness-raising campaigns for responsible consumption.
In particular, the blue economy plays a considerable role and has ever-increasing potential in the EU and global economy, in terms of job creation and people's welfare and health.
The EESC believes in seizing these opportunities — that cover a wide range of both traditional and emerging sectors and operations — to the maximum extent, while at the same time minimising the adverse impact on the climate, biodiversity and the environment.
2.16.
The EESC calls on the Commission, in the context of the twin dynamics, to take greater account of how situations may change arising from the war in Ukraine, especially in relation to the supply of energy and critical raw materials