CALL FOR EVIDENCE

FOR AN INITIATIVE (without an impact assessment)

This document aims to inform the public and stakeholders about the Commission's work, so they can provide feedback and participate effectively in consultation activities.

We ask these groups to provide views on the Commission's understanding of the problem and possible solutions, and to give us any relevant information they may have.

 You should finalise this document at the earliest stages of the preparatory process, so that best use can be made of feedback from stakeholders.

Title of the initiative

2022 Strategic Foresight Report – Better understanding the twinning between the green and digital transitions

Lead DG – responsible unit

Secretariat-General, the European Commission, Unit A5 Foresight and Strategic Communication

Likely Type of initiative

Commission communication

Indicative Timing

Q2 2022

Additional Information

https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/strategic-planning/strategic-foresight_en 

A. Political context, problem definition and subsidiarity check

Political context

·The European Green Deal aims to transform the EU into a fair and prosperous society, with: a modern, resource-efficient and competitive economy in which there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and economic growth is decoupled from resource use. The EU’s digital transformation aims to empower businesses and people in a human-centred, sustainable and more prosperous digital future. Both processes are taking place in parallel and they influence each other.

·These green and digital transitions – the 'twin transitions' – are at the top of the EU political agenda, and will shape Europe and its future. 

·To achieve the EU’s objectives of becoming a greener, digitally fit and fairer Europe, the Commission has adopted several initiatives and set clear targets. 

·Making the transition towards a greener and digital society requires a forward-looking perspective towards 2050, and in-depth analysis of green and digital interlinkages and how to strengthen them. That is where foresight can bring added value for policy-making. A foresight approach explores and anticipates the future, and in this way helps build on and use collective intelligence in a structured and systemic manner to anticipate developments and inform policy initiatives.

·The Strategic Foresight Report is a Commission communication and will not be accompanied by any other initiative.

Problem the initiative aims to tackle

Questions/issues to consider

·The 2022 Strategic Foresight Report will focus on better understanding the relationship, or twinning, between the green and digital transitions. With a 2050 perspective, it will look at the interlinkages between the two transitions and at how they can reinforce each other. The report will address the following questions: 

·What are the key synergies and the main tension points resulting from the twin transition, e.g. e-waste, digital carbon footprint?

·What are the key technologies that will enable successful twinning? What technologies interlinked with the continuous digital transformation can help achieve the goals set by the European Green Deal? 

·What is the role of non-technological factors in the twin transition, for example regulation, financing, behavioural changes, societal acceptance, and skills?

Basis for EU action (legal basis and subsidiarity check)

Legal basis

·A legal basis is not required because this is not a legislative initiative.

·President von der Leyen mandated Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič to lead the efforts to strengthen the Commission’s culture of evidence-based policymaking. The development of the annual Strategic Foresight Reports are an important aspect of this approach. Strategic Foresight Reports inform the Commission’s work programmes and multi-annual programming exercises, as well as individual initiatives where relevant. These strategic foresight exercises are conducted through a participative and cross-sectoral foresight process led by Commission services in consultations with Member States (notably through the EU-wide Foresight Network), discussions in the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System, and various external stakeholders.

Practical need for EU action

·Changes in climate and the environment, together with the process of digitalisation, are having a profound effect on the economy and the lives of Europeans. The changes are taking place at all levels, from grassroots politics to global power structures. To support the transition to a green, digital and fairer Europe, the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report will provide an analysis that looks ahead to 2050. This will support the culture of preparedness and evidence-based anticipatory policy-making in the area of the green and digital transitions. 

B. What does the initiative aim to achieve and how

·The main objective of the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report is to help better analyse the twinning of the green and digital transitions. To do this, the report will provide a forward-looking approach to both the synergies and the main tension points that will result from the twin transition. The report will examine avenues of technology to facilitate the transitions, and will consider the role of non-technological factors.

Likely impacts

·As in the previous Strategic Foresight Reports, the 2022 edition will inform the Commission work programme and multiannual programming exercise.

·It will also inform policy and decision-makers at various levels by providing foresight analysis of the interlinkages between the green and digital transitions. 

Impact assessment

Questions/issues to consider

·The 2022 Strategic Foresight Report is a non-legislative initiative. The report aims to inform EU policy-making; it does not directly implement EU policies. Therefore, an impact assessment is not required.

·As a Commission communication, it will not be accompanied by any other initiative and there are no direct implementation obstacles to consider.

Consultation strategy

Questions/issues to consider

·In the context of the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report, the call for evidence will be useful to raise the awareness of various stakeholders, including the business and research community, about the issue of twinning. Consultations will be held for 4 weeks. Contributions can be provided in the 24 EU official languages on https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say_en 

·The Commission will involve the Member States (via the EU-wide Foresight Network) and other EU institutions through the European Strategy and Political Analysis System (ESPAS) in the foresight process. It will also involve external stakeholders, including the business & research community, think tanks and others.

·The European Commission will refer to the findings of this call for evidence in the drafting of the 2022 Strategic Foresight Report.