This document provides the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the initiative of the European Commission to establish a European charter on the rights of energy consumers.Read more

Daily numbers of deaths at a regional level were collected in 16 European countries. Summer mortality was analyzed for the reference period 1998-2002 and for 2003. More than 70,000 additional deaths occurred in Europe during the summer 2003. Major distortions occurred in the age distribution of...Read more

Low-income households spend a substantial share of their income on utility services such as electricity, heating and water. The difficulty of these socially vulnerable consumers to absorb further price increases is often used as an argument against tariff reform. However, detailed quantitative...Read more

The impact of climate and temperature on health has been receiving increased attention in recent years. Although a precise assessment of the burden of disease caused by low indoor temperatures is not yet available, indoor thermal discomfort and fuel poverty may be of great importance in many...Read more