Kira Taylor
EU agrees gas storage rules under shadow of Russian cut-offs
At a meeting overshadowed by the threat of further Russian gas cut-offs, EU energy ministers voted unanimously on Monday (27 June) to adopt a new law ensuring Europe’s gas storage is at least 80% full by November 2022.
EU countries reach tentative deal on landmark energy savings law
The EU's 27 energy ministers will aim to formalise a tentative deal on the bloc's energy efficiency directive at their meeting on Monday (27 June), opening the door to the first-ever legally binding target to increase energy savings in Europe.
EU’s 3 billion trees by 2030 goal: where we stand
In May 2020, the European Commission published its biodiversity strategy, which included the aim to plant three billion new trees by 2030 to help tackle climate change and create jobs.
10 EU countries warn against watering down ambition in climate legislation
Climate ministers from ten EU countries have called on their fellow countries and the European Parliament not to lower the ambition of new climate legislation and to ensure that the overall package aims at reducing net emissions by at least 55% by 2030.
The Green Brief: ‘F*** it, let’s try again’ on ETS reform
Last week saw fury and frustration erupt among lawmakers as the reform of the EU’s core climate policy, the emissions trading scheme (ETS), failed to win the approval of the European Parliament.
Parliament committees object to EU’s ‘green’ label for gas, nuclear
Two European Parliament committees on Tuesday (14 June) backed an attempt to stop the EU labelling gas and nuclear energy as climate-friendly investments, setting the stage for a full Parliament vote that could reject the rules next month.
Cross-party alliance seeks to block nuclear and gas from EU’s green taxonomy
Lawmakers in the European Parliament have formed a cross-party coalition in an attempt to block nuclear energy and fossil gas from receiving a green investment label under the EU's green finance taxonomy.
EU plans law to reverse decades of biodiversity loss
After several delays and decades of failed promises to halt biodiversity loss in Europe, the EU is planning to propose legally binding nature restoration targets this summer.
How the EU can quit Russian fossil fuels
Since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the EU has sent over €50 billion to Russia in payment for fossil energy.
The Green Brief: EU Parliament hit by ‘tsunami of lobbying’
Lobbying is a legitimate aspect of EU law-making in Brussels. But the amount of lobbying happening right now with the EU’s current crop of 2030 climate laws might be unprecedented, policymakers say.
The Green Brief: Banning Russian oil was the easy part
The ban on Russian oil imports, agreed by EU leaders late on Monday, is a sign that the EU compromise machine still works. A much tougher task now will be to eradicate Russian gas imports.
Russia’s Gazprom to cut gas supply to the Netherlands
Russian gas company Gazprom said it would cut its supply to the Netherlands from Tuesday after Dutch wholesaler GasTerra refused to bow to the Kremlin’s demand to pay in roubles for fear of breaching EU sanctions. Read also: EU clarifies how...
EU leaders back partial ban on Russian oil imports into the bloc
After several weeks of drawn-out negotiations mostly stalled by Hungary, EU leaders on Monday (30 May) struck a political compromise to ban seaborne imports of Russian oil by the end of the year, but fell short of a full embargo.
EU inches closer to ban on Russian oil, with exemptions
EU leaders gathering in Brussels on Monday (30 May) are set to discuss whether to give the political green light to watered-down plans for a full embargo on Russian oil, thrashed out by EU diplomats on Monday morning.
EU summit unlikely to adopt Russia oil ban, will look at ‘the broader picture’
Attempts to negotiate a compromise to get Hungary to back a Russian oil ban before a EU summit later on Monday (30 May) have made no progress. Reportedly, leaders don't want to squabble and will look at "the bigger picture".
EU realistically in for the long-haul on Russian oil ban
Hungary is digging in its heels, and the prospect of the sixth sanction package against Russia, including a ban on imports of Russian oil, being approved before the EU summit on Monday (30 May) is decreasing, EURACTIV understands.
The Green Brief: No done deal on EU carbon market reform
Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee voted on a major overhaul of the EU’s carbon market last week, but it’s a long and possibly bumpy road to EU legislators shaking hands on the final deal.
EU countries urged to prepare for Russian gas cut: summit draft
EU member states need to step up preparations for a possible major disruption of Russian gas supplies, according to the draft conclusions of an EU summit meeting scheduled for Monday and Tuesday next week (30-31 May).
Campaigners hail ‘historic breakthrough’ on revised EU biomass rules
Environmental groups claimed victory earlier this week after the European Parliament's environment committee voted on new rules clarifying what can be counted as "sustainable biomass" under the revised renewable energy directive. Others were more cautious though, saying the battle is far from over.
EU clinches deal on mandatory gas storage for next winter
European Union negotiators on Thursday (19 May) agreed on mandatory gas storage obligations for EU countries, aiming for the the bloc's storages to be at least 85% full by 1 November 2022.
Lawmakers vote to end free CO2 pollution permits by 2030
Lawmakers in the European Parliament’s environment committee agreed a major overhaul of the EU’s carbon market on Tuesday (17 May), including ditching free permits to pollute by 2030 and expanding the EU's carbon pricing scheme to the maritime sector.
EU tables €300bn plan to ditch Russian fossil fuels, speed up green transition
The European Commission submitted on Wednesday (18 May) a €300 billion plan to eliminate Russian energy imports by 2027, although it admitted this would require short-term investments in new fossil fuel infrastructure to replace imports of Russian oil and gas.
The Green Brief: Quitting Russian fossil fuels is only half the challenge
Faced with war, high energy prices and a climate crisis, Europe needs to untangle itself from Russian fossil fuels asap. But ultimately, it needs to reduce its reliance on all fossil fuels as much as possible.