Energy: renewables grow, oil still the main sourceOver the last ten years renewable energies, such as solar and wind, have almost doubled their percentage in the overall energy consumption of the European Union, rising from 5 to 9% of the total. This is attested by Eurostat which, in connection with the EU Sustainable Energy Week (11-15 April), has just published the data on energy production and consumption at the continental level. “In 2009 – says the EU statistics office – oil remained the main source of energy in the EU27, with a share of 37% in the total gross inland energy consumption”. Significant changes however did take place in the decade 1999-2009. Oil in fact dropped by two percentage points (in 2009 – the last data available – the oil percentage was 39%), coal and solid fuels fell from 18 to 16%, while gas rose from 22 to 24%. “Nuclear energy remained almost stable at 14% during this period”. The countries with the highest consumption of oil in terms of their domestic energy requirement are Malta (100%), Cyprus (96%), and Luxembourg (63%), and Greece (55%). Gas is the energy most used in the Netherlands (43%), in Italy and the UK (38%) and in Hungary (36%). The largest proportions for solid fuel such as coal, on the other hand, are those registered in the countries of Eastern Europe, headed by Estonia, Poland, Czech Republic and Bulgaria. France retains the record in terms of recourse to nuclear energy (40% of total national requirement). Leading the league table for the use of “clean” energies are Latvia (36%), Sweden (34%), Austria (27%), and Finland (23%). Much space is dedicated by Eurostat to renewable: hydroelectric, wind, biomass, geothermal and solar. “All member states showed increases in the share of renewable energy in their energy supply between 1999 and 2009, with the largest increases in Denmark (from 8% of total gross inland energy consumption in 1999 to 17% in 2009), Sweden (from 27 to 34%), and Germany (from 2 to 8%)”.Aid to development, “an investment for the future”EU Commissioner Andris Piebalgs presented in recent days the data relating to public aid for development allocated by the Union and by the 27 member states in 2010. “Aid increased by approximately 4.5 billion euro over the figure for 2009, rising to a total of 53.8 billion euro”: this confirms the EU’s role as the world’s major donor of public aid to development, accounting for over half of global public aid”. Yet the European Union failed to reach its target, which was that of achieving a figure for aid equivalent to 0.56% of overall gross domestic product in 2010; instead it only reached 0.43%. “To reach the objective of 0.7% of GDP by 2015 being pursued by member states, a further collective effort is needed”, said Piebalgs. “Aid is an intelligent investment in the future. Promoting inclusive growth and sustainable development in our partner countries is of mutual interest”, not least to prevent economic and political instability, hunger and disease, and mass migration. Efforts must also be made to improve “the effectiveness of aid” and monitor the real results of the expenditure. After the decrease registered in 2009, as a result of the economic crisis and the difficulties of public budgets, last year “17 member states once again increased the volume of their aid, reversing the negative trend”. Three of the five major donors of aid at the world level are member states of the EU: France, Germany and the UK.Eurobarometer: “Consumers ill-informed”A survey by Eurobarometer, published on 11 April by EU Commissioner John Dalli for the European Consumer Summit 2011, suggests that European consumers are ill-informed about products, not always conscious of their rights, and often incapable of making their own grievances heard. The survey shows that less than 50% of the 56,000 citizens interviewed “declared themselves confident, well informed and safeguarded as consumers”. Better informed consumers – according to Eurobarometer – more easily identify the best offer, know their rights and in the event of problems lodge a complaint. On the other hand “vulnerable consumers have difficulty in understanding the choices they are called to make, don’t know their rights, have more problems and are reluctant to act if something doesn’t work”. “The damages denounced by consumers represent circa 0.4% of the GDP of the EU and over a fifth of consumers of the 27 EU member states declared they had a problem in the previous 12 months”. Though most consumers complain to the retailers, “in the majority of cases if the response they receive is unsatisfactory they take no further action”. Dalli comments: “There are worrying indicators of the fact that a considerable number of consumers are potentially vulnerable to fraud, swindles, and aggressive sales methods” and don’t know how to react to such practices. If EU citizens cannot choose products with ease and avoid damages, it is not just they, but honest and innovative traders that are the motor of growth” who suffer the consequences.
