Policy Dialogue with Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis: "Supporting People Now & Repowering our Economy for the Future"

Sky-high energy costs, inflation, and Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine are among the major challenges we face today. 

How can we support EU citizens to deal with the immediate effects of the energy crisis and inflation? How can we build a fair, more inclusive and sustainable future for the next generation?

How can we safeguard our fundamental values while building stronger cooperation with like-minded countries?

On 10 January Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis and youth representatives exchanged on these issues.

Did you miss the live discussion? Don't worry, you can watch the recorded version by accessing the European Commission live stream page.

Take aways from the Dialogue

1. The most pressing priority to get us through the current challenging economic situation is to find the right policy response in a context of low growth and high inflation. To achieve this, we need to ensure not only the consistency between fiscal policy and monetary policy, but also that measures are targeted to the people and the sectors that need it the most, which is unfortunately not currently the case. The most vulnerable need to be protected by the right policies.
2. When it comes to designing policies for the future, the priority is to ensure that the right budget, investments and incentives to fight climate change are in place, and to thoroughly assess the impact of these policies on the young generations and to thoroughly assess the impact of these policies on the young generations through the possible introduction of a Youth Test. 
3. Diversification of energy suppliers and acceleration of transition to renewables are key. However, the green and digital transitions can only be successful if they are inclusive and benefit everyone in the society, and if they are accompanied by a skills agenda for the green and digital economy. 
4. Cooperation is key in this transition, both within the EU and outside. The involvement of youth organisations is paramount in the development of the right policies. Equally, broadening our partnerships with countries outside the EU is fundamental, not only to address strategic dependencies and diversify the resources, but also to share best practices.