About: energy charter
‘Obsolete’ Energy Charter Treaty must be reformed or ditched, lawmakers say
The 1991 Energy Charter Treaty must be profoundly overhauled in order to remove all “obsolete” provisions protecting fossil fuel investments and hindering climate action, lawmakers from across Europe said on Tuesday (8 September).
Energy Charter Treaty reform: Failure in the first round
The German Presidency should end the comedy of the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty and work on a decision to withdraw en masse from the treaty without further delay, argues Yamina Saheb.
EU must end investment protection in the fossil sector
The Energy Charter Treaty, which dates back to the 1990s, severely restricts Europe's ability to change regulations in the energy sector, with many EU member states facing court actions worth billions of euros, write a group of MEPs. If the treaty cannot be reformed, then it must be scrapped, they argue.
Nord Stream 2: New decisions and clear consequences
On 15 May, the German regulator rejected an application from the gas import pipeline Nord Stream 2 for a derogation from new EU rules. Kim Talus looks at the ongoing judicial proceedings and the consequences of the decision.
‘Not appropriate’: Uniper seeks compensation for Dutch coal phase-out
Uniper is threatening to sue the Dutch government over a plan to phase out coal power by 2030, in a case experts warn could have a chilling effect on climate ambition internationally. EURACTIV's media partner, Climate Home News, reports.
EU plans to reform Energy Charter Treaty falling short, activists say
An updated European Commission proposal to reform the Energy Charter Treaty is falling short of what’s needed to reinstate governments’ “right to regulate” in areas like climate change, activists say.
Despite controversy, the Energy Charter Treaty is silently being pushed into Africa
Joining the Energy Charter Treaty could cost developing countries money that is urgently needed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis, argue Pia Eberhardt, Cecilia Olivet and Faith Lumonya.
It’s time to scrap the Energy Charter Treaty
The EU taxpayer is the main loser from the continuation of the Energy Charter Treaty which locks Europe into carbon and energy injustice at a high cost to taxpayers, argues Yamina Saheb.
Nord Stream 2 seeks arbitration in dispute with EU Commission
The Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 pipeline consortium filed a notice on Thursday (26 September), asking a tribunal of private arbiters to determine whether the European Union is in breach of its obligations under the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).
Europe’s Green Deal is under threat from Energy Charter Treaty
The EU and its member states should collectively withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty, which protects fossil fuel investments, and go to the UN Climate Summit in New York with a call to develop a ‘Treaty for the Non-Proliferation of Fossil Fuels’, argues Yamina Saheb.
Luxembourg leads EU push to climate-proof Energy Charter Treaty
Luxembourg will push for a deep reform of the Energy Charter Treaty at EU level in order to align it with global climate objectives, said the country’s energy minister Claude Turmes, who did not rule out scrapping the treaty altogether if reform talks don’t progress fast enough.
EU asserts ‘right to regulate’ as part of energy charter treaty reform
EU member states gave the European Commission a mandate yesterday (15 July) to revise the Energy Charter Treaty, saying the legally-binding charter must reinstate Europe’s “right to regulate” in areas like climate change and workers’ rights.
The Energy Charter Treaty, a case study of ‘business as usual’ in the energy sector
A closer look at the Energy Charter Treaty provides a case study of who really holds power in our increasingly interconnected world, writes Timothy Knickerbocker.
Leaked report reveals ‘misfunctioning’ of Energy Charter Treaty amid EU reform calls
A confidential internal report, obtained by EURACTIV, lists the multiple failings of the Energy Charter secretariat, at a time when the treaty is undergoing a major revision process and is being used by Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline in a first-time legal proceeding against the EU.
Exploring the limits of EU’s unbelievable behaviour on Nord Stream 2
In April, the Russian-owned Nord Stream 2 company initiated legal proceedings agains the EU under the Energy Charter Treaty. If an amicable solution cannot be found, the case will set an important precedent for EU energy policy, write Kim Talus and Leigh Hancher.