A working meeting on environmental issues was held at the headquarters of the Party of European Socialists (PES) in Brussels, bringing together leading politicians from Europe. The meeting was attended by Manol Genov, Bulgarian Minister of Environment and Water, Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Danish Minister of the Environment Magnus Hojnicke, Spanish State Secretary for the Environment Hugo Moran Fernandez, S&D Vice-President in the European Parliament Mohamed Chahim, PES Deputy Secretary-General Jonek Pole and Bulgarian MEP and Vice-Chair of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Tsvetelina Penkova.
The main topics of the discussion were the Clean Industrial Deal and global environmental policies. The focus of the talks was the modernization of industry, with participants emphasizing the need for investments in clean technologies to strengthen Europe's competitiveness. Ensuring affordable and efficiently produced energy will be crucial, as well as preparing workers for the so-called new industries. “Transformation must be socially responsible and fair. Investments in innovation and skills will allow us to create an economy that benefits both the environment and citizens“, said MEP Tsvetelina Penkova. She added: “The main priority for the EU in the field of energy and climate policies this mandate will be to reduce the bills of households and industry. Only in this way can we bring back production in Bulgaria and the EU and provide high-paying jobs. The Clean Industrial Deal is the continuation of European policies in this area and it should contribute to more investments in real and clean industries.“
Minister Manol Genov stressed that accelerating decarbonization should not undermine environmental permitting regimes, pointing out that the biggest challenge remains financing. He emphasized the need for geographically balanced access to financial resources, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, and called for the creation of a single market for secondary raw materials. “Bulgaria and other countries in the region have come a long way in the transition to clean energy and we have made many compromises. Now it is crucial to build an energy market that will provide affordable electricity and maintain the competitiveness of the industry“, commented Minister Genov. “Achieving a truly effective, inclusive and just transition is only possible with balanced solutions to address energy, economic and social challenges.“, added Minister Genov.
One of the main issues in the debate was the future of the energy market in Europe. Minister Genov stressed that in order to ensure price stability, southern and eastern countries need to have access to cheaper energy than northern Europe and this can happen through the construction of an interconnected electricity grid.
In conclusion, the PES representatives stressed the need for policies that combine affordable energy, development of the circular economy and investment in innovation. The meeting reaffirmed the Socialists' commitment to a clean, fair and competitive transition that guarantees environmental responsibility and social justice.
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