About: Svenja Schulze
German commission urges phase out of CAP direct payments
The EU's agricultural subsidies should be restructured to achieve environment and climate goals, including a phase out of direct payments and the reduction of livestock, according to a milestone report from the German commission on the future of agriculture. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Sustainability should be ‘underlying principle‘ of digital policy: German minister
Digital innovations should be used as a tool for environmental protection and climate action, but we must act now, Germany's minister for the environment, Svenja Schulze, told EURACTIV in an interview.
New German insect protection legislation draws a sharp divide
Farmers always say that they care about the environment, while environmental protection organisations demand ever stricter regulations for the agricultural industry. With Germany's new insect protection law, the conflicts of interest between the two groups have reached a new peak. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German environment ministry proposes a social contract for green agriculture
German environment minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) is hosting a virtual agricultural congress on Wednesday (13 January) to discuss sustainable agriculture and the agreement between food production, environment and climate. At the centre, however, is a social contract. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German cabinet fails to reach an agreement on insect protection
Due to continuing divisions between the Agriculture and Environmental Ministries, the German government was unable to reach an agreement on the draft of a Insect Protection Act (ISG) on Wednesday (16 December). EURACTIV Germany reports.
Germany launches funding programme for ‘green steel’
German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze (SPD) has made €5 million available to Salzgitter AG at the start of the new support program for the "decarbonisation of industry." The group is to produce climate-friendly steel as part of the project. However, the opposition criticises a lack of industrial policy.
Only slight improvements in German nitrate levels
This week, Germany must report the nitrate levels of its groundwater to the European Commission. According to media reports, the trend is slightly positive but even the Commission admits that a comparison with other EU countries is difficult. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German cabinet approves final ‘Coal Phase-out Act’
The German cabinet put the finishing touches to its Coal Phase-out Act on Wednesday (24 June), aiming for the draft package of laws to clear the Bundestag before the summer break, unless the European Commission decides to strike it down. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Renewable energy capacity at record level worldwide in 2019
The share of renewable energies in global electricity generation increased again last year. Capacity financed by investments was even at a record level in 2019, according to a recent report on global investments in renewables. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German cabinet agrees CO2 price of €25 from January 2021
Germany's cabinet agreed on Wednesday (20 May) on changes to the climate package launched last September, and it is now certain that from January 2021, a price of €25 per tonne of CO2 will apply to the heat and transport sectors in Germany. EURACTIV Germany reports.
One-third of animal species in Germany in bad shape, says new government report
One day before the European Commission unveils its new biodiversity strategy, Germany presented its national nature report, which stressed that while some populations are recovering, insects are now in very bad shape. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Breakthrough in Germany’s wind and solar energy dispute
Germany's grand coalition of Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) and Social Democrats (SPD) on Monday (18 May) agreed on the abolition of the solar cap and an "opt-out solution" for a standard distance for wind turbines. This is a decisive milestone for the expansion of renewable energy in Germany, EURACTIV Germany reports.
Petersberg Climate Dialogue: German ambitions remain blurry
The Petersberg Climate Dialogue opened on Monday with an appeal to place climate protection at the centre of economic recovery. Yet, it remains to be seen how much ambition Germany will show in this respect. EURACTIV Germany reports.
France, Germany join group of 10 EU countries calling for green recovery
Paris and Berlin have added their names to a growing list of EU capitals asking for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan.
German fertiliser regulation amendment ignites spat between government ministers
After the European Commission rejected previous drafts amending Germany's fertiliser regulation, the agriculture ministry announced it would send a final draft to Brussels this week, but the environment minister was full of criticism at her cabinet colleague. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German farmers reject government’s €1 billion ‘consolation prize’ for stricter fertiliser regulations
Germany's grand coalition wants to support agriculture with €1 billion when stricter fertiliser regulations come into force soon. Farmers, however, are outraged, as they are demanding political action instead of money. Yet, the clock is ticking in Brussels and hefty fines are imminent. EURACTIV Germany reports.
40,000 farmers on tractors block Berlin in protest at new agricultural policy
Tens of thousands of farmers protested in Berlin on Tuesday (26 November) against the government's new agricultural policy. They complained about increasing environmental protection requirements and falling product prices, which are increasingly damaging their business. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Altmaier’s planned ‘turbine-free zones’ could halve Germany’s wind energy potential
Proposals to introduce a minimum distance of 1,000 metres between wind turbines and buildings have attracted fierce criticism from the German environment ministry, which said the draft new rules would derail the country's plan to boost renewable energy by 2030. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German ministers urge EU to lead the way at COP25 in Madrid
At a Berlin conference to prepare for the UN's annual climate summit (COP25), Environment Minister Svenja Schulze and Foreign Minister Heiko Maas stressed the EU's responsibility in closing the Paris Climate Agreement's remaining gaps, particularly by raising the targets at EU level. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Bundestag wants to impose climate tax on MPs’ official trips
The Bundestag's Council of Elders decided that there should be a climate tax for the official trips of MPs, starting in 2020. For the first time, the Council has started to debate the building blocks of Germany's recently proposed climate package. EURACTIV's media partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
Fertiliser regulation: German ministers warn farmers will have to make extensive efforts
The European Commission and German agricultural and environmental ministers met in Brussels on Wednesday (28 August) to discuss the country's fertiliser regulation. It was concluded that although Germany is on the right track, it should seriously speed up its efforts and work on the text's precision. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German coalition divided over carbon pricing
Should Germany put a price on carbon emissions from transport, buildings or agriculture, which are currently not covered by the EU emissions trading scheme? The question is dividing members of the ruling coalition. EURACTIV Germany reports.
German environment chief seeks dialogue with Poland over climate neutrality
German Environment Minister Svenja Schulze announced that she will be holding talks with representatives of all states that have so far refused to join the EU's carbon neutrality objective for 2050. EURACTIV Germany reports.