The current European approach of incremental policy-making will not be sufficient to deliver the innovation necessary to protect Europe from rising energy, economical and climate risks.
Rising complexity and urgency require a step change in the EU’s approach to policy-making; one that is adapted to the interrelated landscape of policy challenges and that supports the principles of transparency and evidence-based policy making of the European Union.
"The European Commission has developed an ‘incrementalist’ approach to policy making. This is focused on achieving political agreement to taking small steps beyond what had been adopted previously." explains Simon Skillings, Senior Associate at E3G.
"However successful this has been to date, the energy policy challenge is now much more complex. Poor policy decisions will lead to considerable money being wasted and European objectives to be missed", Skillings added.
In our new briefing The Energy Union requires a new approach to policy-making, E3G argues that the creation of a European Energy and Climate Risk Observatory as a new independent body would provide the necessary substance to bring the Energy Union concept to life.
The creation of this expert body would improve the robustness and evidence base of decision-making at all levels, and could considerably strengthen citizens and businesses’ confidence in the work of European institutions.
