Lights on energy and justice

The European Commission is presently grappling with a set of issues, that include: the agreement between Cyprus and the troika (EU, ECB, IMF) to save the Mediterranean Country from default; the proposal of a 2013 amendment budget, needed to cover "unpaid claims"; negotiations for the 2014-2020 budget; a regulation to attract talented, non-European students and researchers; the evaluation picture for justice: strategies related to energy and climate. Justice and climate are themes that raise special interest at community level.Effectiveness of judicial systems. An efficient judicial system responds to citizens’ interests, it makes the Country more credible at international level, it brings a positive climate for foreign investments, it lays the foundations for a return to growth in Europe and for the stability of the single currency, ensuring the rule of the law. These are the pillars of a new comparative tool to promote effective judicial systems in the EU, proposed by the Barroso Executive. The ‘European Justice Scoreboard’ will provide "objective, reliable and comparable data on the functioning of the justice systems in the EU’s 27 Member States, also to carry out innovative reforms. "The attractiveness of a country as a place to invest and do business is undoubtedly boosted by having an independent and efficient judicial system", said Vice-President Viviane Reding, Commissioner for Justice. "That is why predictable, timely and enforceable legal decisions are important". Key findings of the first Scoreboard show that the length of judicial proceedings varies considerably between EU Member States, and highlighted serious delays in resolving civil and commercial disputes. Independence of the judiciary. In the report on the EU Justice Scoreboard the Commission highlights that independence of the judiciary from the political system, "is at risk in many Countries". In fact, "perceptions of the independence of national justice systems also vary widely". The most reliable Countries – on the basis of a survey of the World Economic Forum – are Finland (first in Europe, second in the world), The Netherlands, (third in the world), Ireland, (fourth in the world), Germany, (fourth in Europe, second in the world), the Netherlands (third in the world), Ireland (fourth in the world). On the opposite front, the judicial systems considered less independent according to various indicators are Slovakia (last in Europe, ranks 115 in the world), Romania (second-last in the EU, 114th in the world), followed by Bulgaria, Greece, Lithuania, Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy and Portugal. "On the basis of the Scoreboard, the European Commission is now inviting the Member States, the European Parliament and all stakeholders to take part in an open dialogue about how to continue the improvement of national justice systems". The issue is on the agenda of the next European Semester (economic policies coordination) and will be discussed during the "Assises de la justice", the high-level conference scheduled to take place the coming November 21-22. Less carbon, more "clean" sources. "Europe’s dependence on foreign fossil fuels from Third Countries is growing every year. That means more expensive and unaffordable energy bills for Europeans. This is not positive. It’s not positive for the climate and for our economy". Connie Hedegaard is the EU Commissioner for climate action. At the end of March she presented a Green Paper and launched a public consultation for EU energy policy, in the context of ongoing economic, political and environmental aspects. "We want a low-carbon society for 2050. We have targets for 2020, but for most investors 2020 is around the corner", said the Danish Commissioner -. It’s time to define the targets for 2030. The sooner we do that, the more certainty we get to our companies and our investors". The consultation (http://ec.europa.eu/energy/green_paper_2030_en.htm) is ongoing until July 2, and on the basis of the results the Commission will present a political and legislative proposal by 2030. "Providing clarity" in the energy sector will "give certainty to investors and stimulate innovation and demand for low-carbon technologies, thus supporting progress towards building a more competitive, sustainable and more energy-secure European economy". The Green paper and the public consultation have set clear goals: to decrease the EU’s energy dependence on extra-EU Countries, boost energy efficiency, promote greater use of renewable resources, decrease "uctting emissions 80-95% by 2050", as pointed out by EU energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger, for whom "the 2030 framework will build on the experience and lessons learnt from the 2020 framework and will identify where improvements can be made".