EU policy news

On 22 and 23 April, the European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn is in Athens, where she will attend the Fourth Transport Research Arena (TRA) – the most important event in Europe dedicated to surface transport research. During this event, the Commissioner will open the conference and exhibition and will deliver a speech at the plenary session on ‘EU 2020 objectives on transport innovation: from research to deployment’. In this context, she will also meet with Constantinos Kokkinoplitis, Secretary General for Research & Technology of the Ministry for Education, Lifelong Learning and Religious Affairs and Industry leaders to discuss the future of transport research under Horizon 2020. Transport industry and transport equipment manufacturing together represent 6.3 % of the European Union’s GDP.

The meeting of Energy ministers in Denmark on Friday 20 April 2012 concluded by reaching an agreement on the approach recommended by the European Commission in its energy roadmap to 2050. Europe’s energy future will involve higher efficiency, more renewables and infrastructure upgrades, they said. The ministers backed the roadmap’s ‘no regret’ options, which the commission says would apply to all decarbonisation scenarios envisaged in the document, regardless of the choices made by member states. The agreement means energy ministers recognise the basic principles that the commission believes should underpin Europe’s transition towards a low-carbon energy system. 

MEPs will today vote  on the proposal for revision of the 2003 Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) following a report by Astrid Lulling (EPP, Luxembourg) in Strasbourg last night. 

A majority of MEPs have voted against the European Commission’s proposal to reform the energy taxation system during the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on 19 April. 

A new EU energy initiative which will provide access to sustainable energy for an additional 500 million people in developing countries by 2030 was today announced by European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso. Speaking at the EU Sustainable Energy for All Summit in Brussels, the President unveiled this EU commitment in the framework of the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4All) launched by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon last year. The Commission’s proposals include a new EU Technical Assistance Facility worth €50 million over the next two years, which will support those developing partners that “opt in” to the initiative by providing EU expertise in the field; thereby promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth. President Barroso also emphasized that in the run-up to the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio in June, the “Rio+20″ conference, the EU and Member States will look to mobilise additional support of up to several hundred million euros to support concrete new investments in sustainable energy for developing countries – working with banks and the private sector to create a leverage effect to multiply this amount many times over. As the largest provider of development assistance in the world, the EU plays a crucial role [...]

The next discussion on the Connecting Europe Facility will be held in the European Parliament on Tuesday, 24 April 2012 at 10.30 in a Joint committee Meeting hosted by TRAN and ITRE in the Paul Henry Spaak Building (PHS3C050)  The main topics to be discussed include forms of financing, priorities and synergies between the sectors

The Informal Meeting of Ministers for Environment and the Informal meeting of the Energy Ministers will be held back to back. During the Informal Meeting of Ministers for Environment, ministers will discuss the 7th Environment Action Programme, including 1) implementation and strengthening of EU legislation and 2) towards a greening of the economy. In addition the road towards Rio+20 will be discussed on a specific session. During a lunch session, ministers will discuss the future of the ETS system. At the Informal Meeting of Energy Ministers the current status of negotiations of the Energy Efficiency Directive will be on the agenda of the first session. In the perspective of a European vision for energy by 2030, ministers will continue with a session covering different aspects of the EU’s energy policy based on the Commissions Communication on Energy Roadmap 2050. Transportation - Airport shuttlebus Every 30 minutes a Presidency shuttlebus for the press and delegates will depart from Billund Airport to Hotel Opus and Hotel Scandic and back again to Billund Airport. For meeting documents and agenda click here. Accreditation Contact: Ragna Petersen, Ministry of Climate, Energy and Building Tel:   +45 33 92 28 36      , email: rapet@kebmin.dk Vibeke Jørgensen, Ministry of the Environment Tel:             +45 72 [...]

The EU budget should create stricter conditions for accessing funds so that investments are made for adaptation to climate change and to improve overall energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources and related infrastructure. Connie Hedegaard, EU commissioner indicated that “the Commission intends to increase the proportion to at least 20%, with contribution from different policies, subject to impact assessment evidence.” The targeted 20% would be sourced mainly from cohesion, research and agricultural funds. For example 30% of payments to farmers will be given on compliance with “a number of sound environmental practices”. Current discussions in the EU Parliament reveal that MEP do not all agree that Cohesion funds shoud be used for other purposes than “There are differences between climate change policy and cohesion policy,” said German MEP Constanze Krehl  who is responsible for Cohesion policy of the Socialists and Democrats. in the EU Parliament  “Cohesion policy aims at reducing disparities between the regions at economical and social and territorial level – this idea prevails,” she said. Jan Olbrycht a Polish MEP of the European People’s Party agreed that cutting carbon dioxide emissions “is not the first aim of the cohesion policy”.  Although low carbon and energy efficiency are important, countries should be given the flexibility to decide [...]

EU transport ministers in Brussels on March 22, 2012  agree on a €31.7-billion EU for streamlining cross-border transport operations Europe’s Transeuropean Network for Transport, TEN T

Global greenhouse gas emissions could rise 50% by 2050 without more ambitious climate policies, as fossil fuels continue to dominate the energy mix, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says in a new report. “Unless the global energy mix changes, fossil fuels will supply about 85% of energy demand in 2050, implying a 50% increase in greenhouse gas emissions and worsening urban air pollution,” the OECD said in its environment outlook to 2050, released yesterday (15 March). The global economy in 2050 will be four times larger than today and the world will use around 80% more energy. But the global energy mix is not predicted to be very different from that of today, the report said. Fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas will make up 85% of energy sources while renewables, including biofuels, are forecast to make up 10% and nuclear the rest. Due to such dependence on fossils, carbon dioxide emissions from energy use are expected to grow by 70%, the OECD said, which will help drive up the global average temperature by 3 to 6 degrees Celsius by 2100 – exceeding the internationally agreed warming target of within 2 degrees. All-time CO2 high [...]