Cork’s Place in Europe - Next Generation EU

Cork Chamber’s recent Communicating Europe Initiative ‘Cork’s Place in Europe - Next Generation EU’ supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs received valuable feedback on what is needed to improve and sustain public dialogue on the EU in Cork - a thriving European city driven by an international outlook.

Speakers included Moderator, Noelle O’ Connell, CEO of European Movement Ireland; Billy Kelleher, Member of European Parliament (MEP) for Ireland South; Kieran McCarthy, Independent Cork City Councillor, Member of EU Committee of the Regions and Emmy Coffey Nguyen, Ireland’s Alternate Citizen Representative to Conference on the Future of the European Union. Many of the challenges and opportunities that we face today are global and it is evident that we cannot address these on our own.

Positively, over half of respondents to our survey reported awareness of carbon emission reduction targets have been adopted by the EU to ensure a climate-neutral continent by 2050.

Specifically, Ireland is set to receive almost €1 billion in grants from the European Union to support Ireland’s recovery and resilience plan, of which 42% will go to climate objectives and 32% to digital objectives. The plan forms part of an unprecedented and coordinated EU response to the COVID-19 crisis. It should support city regions such as Cork to address challenges by embracing the green and digital transitions and to in turn, strengthen economic and social resilience and the cohesion of the Single Market.

47% agreed that the EU is doing enough to lead on climate crisis, 34% disagreed and 19% responded that they did not know.

Cllr Kieran McCarthy remarked that the EU’s climate action plans, the European Green Deal and Fit for 55 package are very ambitious in order reach 2030 and net zero 2050 targets. However, the “Gap needs to be closed between top-down thinking with what’s happening on the ground”. For example, he cited that 70% of greening regulations will be carried out at local level by local and regional authorities and 30% of future EU cohesion policy will go to green initiatives. He added, “The bottle is half full, Cork is ready to rise to the challenge but more partnership, appropriate knowledge, regulation, funding and citizen engagement will be needed to speed up the green transition and support people and actions on the ground”.

45% of survey respondents agree that digital solutions are immediately needed for fi ghting climate change and promoting a greener and more environmentally friendly economy and society. However Emmy Coff ey Nguyen warned against the fraught promise of salvation through technology. Again, leadership and courage to address a looming crisis in energy and to develop renewable energy solutions to power the economy is required.

Cllr McCarthy cited current examples of EU engagement via Cork Smart Gateway, the EU Intelligent Cities Challenge, as well Horizon Europe success enjoyed by third level institutes such as Tyndall, UCC, MTU and industry.

EU digital priorities 2025 remain the most fundamental building block of the digital transformation of Europe. To achieve a European ‘Gigabit society’, connectivity needs to be achieved with all households having internet connectivity of at least 100 Mbps download speed, upgradable to 1 Gbps and uninterrupted 5G network.

Cork is one of 300 regions in Europe and one of 500 cities in Atlantic Europe. Ireland’s competitiveness relies on the competitiveness of the regions, and our peripheral location calls upon us to continue to engage with strong internationalisation programmes, engagement with the EU and even shift in focus from Dublin to peers in Northern France and Spain.

Revised EU guidelines on regional State aid will enter into force on 1 January 2022. These set out the rules under which Member States can grant State aid to companies to support the economic development of disadvantaged areas in the EU, while ensuring a level playing fi eld between Member States. SMEs are urged to engage with the EU to shape policy and funding to best harness supports for SMEs and local action.

A resounding 96% of respondents agreed that the EU should continue to evolve and strengthen the Single Market. In addition to digital connectivity to access markets, Ireland is well placed to capitalise on opportunities which have arisen from the exit of the UK from EU membership and closer economic integration in the EU. Connectivity of Cork via Cork Airport, ferry and port remains crucial for access to the EU single market.

Interestingly, 62% of people believe that there should be more economic integration in the EU, even if this means reducing the flexibility that individual member states have to adjust their spending and tax rates.

Safeguarding European democracy and the rule of law has never been more to the fore with the rise in tensions related to Brexit, migration, public health emergency and independence of the judiciary in Eastern European member states. Emmy Coff ey Nguyen concluded that if Ireland is to continue to punch above its weight as an EU member state, it needs to address any EU democratic defi cits by staying connected to citizens, and integrating youth and the voice of the next generation into EU decision making.

In this year of the Conference on the Future of Europe, Noelle O’Connell concluded by reiterating the opportunity to share their ideas about the opportunities and challenges facing the EU and to envision its future. Cork Chamber was proud to lead on this important Communicating Europe discussion with its network and to highlight the value of the business community and all of society in contributing to the conversation on Ireland’s role in Europe.