Eco-Innovation & C2CN – Merging environmental and cohesion policy

Mechelen26/05/2010

Igor JelinskiDG ENV, E.4 „LIFE-Environment and Eco-innovation”

The Europe 2020 vision

• The Europe 2020 vision: Smart, sustainable and inclusive growth

• A new governance framework for the European Union and the Member States

• Flagship initiatives to solve

societal challenges• The “Innovation Union” – A new

European innovation strategy

Bridging the gap - Environment and growth

Eco-industries in the European Union:

• Annual turnover 319 billion Euro (2,5% EU GDP)

• Strong recent growth (app. 8 % p.a.)

• 3,4 million directly employed (1,5% of EU employment)

• 600 000 jobs created between 2004 - 2008

• Venture Capital : 1.6 billion USD investment in cleantech in 2009 in EU

Source: IDEA Consulting and Ecorys, Study on the competitiveness of the EU eco-industry, 2009

EU Action Plan 2004 - 2009

ETAP

Getting from Research to Markets

Improving Market Conditions

Acting Globally

Priority Actions

• ETAP: Promote eco-innovation and the take-up of environmental Technologies:

– R&D: €10 billion in FP7 for environmental technologies– 30 technology platforms (fuel cells, H2)– Tailor-made financial instruments for eco-innovation– Expansion of eco-design– Environmental Technology Verification– Review of state-aid (eco-innovation bonus)– Green Public Procurement → 50% target – Awareness-raising → ETAP Forum – Innovation in promising areas → Lead Markets

EU-wide Action 2004 - 2009

ETAP has been successful

• Conditions have improved thanks to– Putting environmental technologies/ eco-

innovation on the agenda– Mobilizing Member State actions (ETAP national

roadmaps)– Focusing research efforts– Improving market conditions through:

• Coordinating policies (Lead Market Initiative)• Innovative financial instruments • Partnerships with the private sector

But obstacles remain

• Generic eco-innovation barriers• ETAP-specific issues:

– Limited information on EU and Member State performance

– Focus of actions and coordination of efforts and policies

– Diversity and overlap of instruments (both at EU and Member State level)

– Uneven impact on Member States (long run)– Limited impact globally

• Need for our economies to adapt to resource and carbon constrained world – paradigm shift

• Good for the economy, jobs and the environment• The economic crisis - an opportunity to speed up this

adjustment process• Eco-efficiency and 'Green growth' a challenge both for

the EU and globally

Why an Eco-innovation Action Plan?

• Creation of greater market demand from the private sector for Eco-Innovation: - changing the relative prices, working to influence consumption patterns

• Provision of the new public infrastructure needed – to avoid lock-in to existing economic patterns: eg. electric car charging points

• Supply-side innovation policy to help firms change the direction of their innovation – eg. skills support

• Assistance to firms to adjust their production, business models, efficiency and skills to new market conditions

What is needed from policy to foster eco-innovation

From ETAP to an Eco-innovation Action Plan

• Objectives still relevant:– Eco-innovation for competitiveness and sustainable

development– EU competitive advantage in the green tech sector– Mobilize stakeholders– New, reinforced targeted actions

• Priority areas still relevant:– From research to demonstration and wider use– Better markets and diffusion– Acting globally

From ETAP to an Eco-innovation Action Plan

• New focus…– Role of environmental (and economic) policy in

promoting eco-innovation– Expand focus from green tech to eco-innovation– Better coordination of EU and Member State

actions– Leverage further private funding – Increase SME focus and networking – Reinforce the global dimension

• C2C Network = first FTN in the area of environment/sustainable development/eco-innov.

• Help regions fill the project pipeline with qualitative and innovative projects towards EU 2020 objectives (resource-efficiency, knowledge society…)

• EC support to cutting-edge innovation & developments

• Merging cohesion and environmental policy

• Regions often incubators of innovative policy approaches

C2CN in the new framework?

• In general focus on the substance & process of developing the action plans

• Support to regular organisation of steering committee (help on agendas, debates, reports…)

• Act as an animator (checking benchmarks are set in the project to assure achievements of results);

Role of EC

• Help setting up a culture of transparency and communication (need for a well organised website)

• Help to establish a culture of peer assessment

• To confirm the involvement of the Managing and other authorities in the project

Role of EC

• The C2C FTN is ‘just in time’ vs. recent policy developments at EU level

• EC will be closely involved and push for success

• This project and its success is owned by all project partners

Conclusions

For more information

www.ec.europa.eu/environment/etap

• Google ‘EU ETAP’

• Newsletter ‘Clean, Clever, Competitive’

• Interviews, info on environmental technologies and eco-innovationin Member States

Thank you

Igor.jelinski@ec.europa.eu

Tel: 0032 229 61 54