Ploughing on with the Green Deal – EURACTIV.com - EURACTIV

Ploughing on with the Green Deal - EURACTIV.com
By Frédéric Simon | Euractiv.com Est. 9min 20-12-2023 Content-Type: News News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Green Brief Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Languages: FrançaisPrint Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram Hello and a big welcome to our new subscribers from Norsus, AFS Group, the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP), and more. Euractiv’s Green Brief brings you a roundup of energy and environment news from across Europe. You can subscribe here. As 2023 draws to a close, the European Union is racing against the clock to close as many Green Deal files as possible before the European Parliament goes into recess for the June EU elections. The marathon continued last week after the COP28 climate summit with four additional Green Deal files now officially wrapped up – on construction products, corporate due diligence, electricity market reform, and Euro 7 exhaust rules for cars. Construction products. Of the four, the construction products regulation, agreed on Wednesday (13 December), is probably the least sexy. But as our colleague Niko Kurmayer points out, it is worth following because it regulates everything used in buildings, where 36% of the EU’s emissions originate. Not a trivial reform, as Niko highlights in this piece. Corporate due diligence. A higher-profile decision took place on Thursday (14 December) when EU legislators reached a compromise deal on the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) after an all-night session. To the disappointment of green campaigners, the financial sector was partially exempted from the new rules, with the investment and lending activities of banks left out of the scope of the CSDDD. Banks will still have to perform due diligence on their upstream activities, however, but those are usually limited. On the other hand, companies will be subject to stricter standards on climate, with a duty to adopt and put into effect climate plans. Moreover, the directive targets all companies active in the EU market, even if their headquarters are outside the EU – a move aimed at eradicating dubious practices in industries like textile and mining. Concretely, this means companies are now liable for sanctions if they are found breaching the rules. Alternatively, they can also be sued directly by the victims, reports János Allenbach-Ammann. Electricity reform. The subject of all attention, however, was the electricity market reform, concluded on Thursday (14 December) after months of tense negotiations. The reform had one overarching objective: to stabilise electricity prices following last years’ energy crisis by promoting long-term contracts – either Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) when private buyers and sellers are concerned or Contracts for Difference (CfDs) when public authorities step in to finance energy projects. Under Thursday’s deal, CfDs – with a price ceiling and a floor – will become mandatory as soon as governments intervene on the market to support new power generation facilities, like wind farms or nuclear plants. This provides renewables producers with the assurance that prices will not go below a certain threshold, a move that is meant to encourage investments into new wind and solar capacity. For existing power plants, CfDs will be optional though, reflecting an earlier agreement struck on 17 October by EU member states. This means options are open for France to finance the lifetime extension of its existing fleet of 53 nuclear reactors. In addition, a special clause was added for Poland, allowing Warsaw to bypass the EU’s CO2 emission ceiling and fire up its coal plants in case of an energy crisis. Frédéric Simon has the details. Euro 7. Closing the marathon, legislators reached a deal on Monday (18 December) to adopt new ‘Euro 7’ rules for non-CO2 emissions from cars. Not much happened in the end: car exhaust limits will remain unchanged compared to the previous ‘Euro 6’ standard. This is a significant setback for the Commission, which saw its original proposal neutralised, and a win for the European car industry, which argued that tighter emission rules were pointless given that combustion engines will be phased out anyway as of 2035 under new EU rules passed last year. What does change, however, is that particle emissions from brakes and tyres are now included in the regulation. Sean Carroll has more. Packaging waste. Elsewhere, the Council of EU member states agreed their common position on Monday (18 December) on the draft Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). Similar to the position voted on by Parliament in October, new exemptions from reuse targets were added – this time for carboard and wine bottles – to the disappointment of activists… and beer makers, reports Hugo Struna. The way is now clear for the Belgian EU Council presidency to start negotiations in view of reaching an agreement with Parliament on the PPWR before the end of February, Fred Simon reports. What next? The EU is now entering the last stretch before the European Parliament enters into recess for the June EU elections. Belgium, which takes the EU’s six-month Council Presidency from Spain on 1 January, says it has until the end of February to close negotiations on remaining files. That is the deadline in order to leave enough time for Parliament to pass legislation before its last plenary session on 22-25 April. Editor’s note: This is the last Green Brief of 2023. Until our return in January, news coverage will continue on Euractiv’s Energy & Environment section, although at a slightly slower pace. Hope you have a great Christmas and see you in the new year! Until then, this is Fred, Niko, Paul, and Nathan signing off. Must reads Sweden, France strengthen cooperation on nuclear – By Paul Messad France sticks to its guns, refuses to table 2030 renewable energy target – By Paul Messad 26 countries sign ‘European Wind Charter’ to shield EU industry – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer EU significantly off-track from 2030 climate goal, Commission warns – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer EU’s von der Leyen hails COP28 as ‘beginning of post-fossil era’ – By Frédéric Simon Germany solves budget spat by cutting climate fund and increasing energy taxes – By Jonathan Packroff Support for renewable energy lowest in France, Germany – By Nathan Canas The Capitals – editor’s pick BERLIN. Germany’s ailing steel industry gets €2.6 billion to decarbonise. Germany’s steel production industry is struggling with high electricity prices, the sector confirmed as the European Commission approved a state aid package to further electrify the entire sector. Read more. LISBON. Portugal, Spain and France agree to boost energy links. Portugal, Spain and France will strengthen energy links, according to a memorandum of understanding that sets new priorities for the High-Level Group, signed with the EU Commission in Brussels Tuesday. Read more. BRATISLAVA. Slovakia announces regional coal phase-out, set to save big. With Slovakia set to completely phase out coal mining and burning in the Upper Nitra region by year’s end and the EU supporting employment, entrepreneurship and the development of green resources in the area with €226 million, Slovakia is set to reduce electricity costs by over €388 million. Read more. BERLIN. German industry fumes over new EU corporate sustainability rules. The German industry blasted the agreement on the EU’s new due diligence law and warned that the new corporate rules would undermine Europe’s competitiveness and stifle its economy. Read more. PARIS. French Greens eye left-wing alliance for 2027 elections but reject it for EU vote. French Green Party leader Marine Tondelier said on Thursday that many left-wing voters favour presenting a joint left-wing candidate for the 2027 presidential elections even though left-wing parties are now campaigning separately ahead of the EU elections in June next year. Read more. VIENNA. Austria’s centre-left aims at the country’s CO2 price. Austria’s centre-left SPÖ wants to suspend the country’s carbon price to soften the blow of persistently high inflation, echoing a previous demand from the far-right. Read more. BERLIN. German government faces broad backlash for budget cuts. The German government has been heavily criticised for announcing a mix of spending cuts and tax rises to fill the €60 billion hole in the country’s “climate and transformation fund” left by a constitutional court ruling. Read more. BERN. Swiss traditional parties block Greens from newly elected government. The Swiss Parliament reelected on Wednesday all incumbent members of the Federal Council, the Swiss government, with members from the four traditional governing parties – blocking the hopeful Greens out. Read more. Opinions COP28 puts climate AI on global agenda – By Stephen Minas Dialogue is part and parcel of National Energy and Climate Plans – By various authors Making sense of green hydrogen costs and recent market developments in Europe – By Agustin Roth, Andrea Dertinger, Bastian Lotz and Matthias Schimmel EU should be wary of calls for a ‘regulatory pause’ in the transport sector – By Monique Goyens A new opening for Polish-German energy relations – By Agata Łoskot-Strachota and Georg Zachmann On our radar 1 January. Belgium takes over EU Council presidency 2024 – Q1. Commission proposals: Communication on water resilience Communication on advanced materials for industrial leadership 15 JANUARY. Parliament plenary votes: European Hydrogen Bank Geothermal energy 6 FEBRUARY. Commission proposals: 2040 Climate target communication Communication on industrial carbon management MARCH 2024. Parliament plenary votes: Directive on waste ‘Green claims’ directive, protecting consumers from greenwashing 4 MARCH. Energy Council 25 MARCH. Environment Council 22-25 APRIL. Last European Parliament plenary session before the European elections Circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles SPRING 2024. First European Climate Risk Assessment 6-9 JUNE: European elections Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic and Frédéric Simon. Interested in more energy and environment news delivered to your inbox? You can subscribe to our daily newsletter and to our comprehensive weekly update here. Read more with Euractiv Beer makers lament Council's wine, spirits exemption from EU packaging rulesWine and spirits should be exempt from future EU repackaging rules, EU environment ministers decided on Monday (18 December), angering beer producers who will have to comply with the new rules which include a new deposit system. 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