The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) wants a continued but reduced commitment to climate action and nature protection, according to a draft version of it’s priorities for the next European Commission, seen by Euractiv.
The draft document sets out the party’s policy priorities for the EU’s next five-year cycle, ahead of the group’s 2-4 July ‘study days’ in Portugal and contains specific proposals for the incoming European Commission’s 2024-2029 Work Programme.
The draft ‘5 Point Plan’ reaffirms the party’s commitment to the EU’s current 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation goals and commits to “moving away from fossil fuels towards clean energy.” However, the text strongly emphasises the economic competitiveness and energy security dimensions of the energy transition.
The EPP propose to “keep delivering with the Green Deal and turning it into a Green Growth Deal.”
The paper references the importance of ‘technological neutrality’ principle, but details several initiatives to support specific technologies.
These include ramping up international hydrogen production; an industry alliance on small modular nuclear reactors; investment in carbon capture, storage and usage technology alongside creating market rules for carbon trading; and “a simple, technology-neutral and pragmatic definition for low-carbon hydrogen.”
The document also reaffirms the EPP’s ambition to revise the EU’s de facto ban on combustion engines, although its aim “to allow for the use of alternative zero-emission fuels beyond 2035” has already been secured in EU law. The EPP also wants a new EU strategy to cover e-fuels, biofuels, and low-carbon fuels.
More general proposals include an ‘Investment Plan for European Jobs’ to invest in clean technology innovation, regulatory exemptions for climate-neutral businesses, more investment into cross-border power and gas links, and a new EU strategy for critical raw materials.
Nature protection – within limits
The document considers protecting the climate and planet as part of ‘the European way of life,’ but environmental preservation is reduced compared to the Green Deal, and farmers’ interests are referenced frequently.
The text says that the EU should remain at the frontier of environmental protection “while not allowing third countries to exploit our high standards, notably China.”
The EPP proposes revising wolves’ and bears’ protection status and separating agriculture pollution from the current Industrial Emissions Directive. Under the EPP’s plans, the application of the deforestation regulation would be paused.
Jonathan Packroff contributed to the reporting
[Edited by Alice Taylor]
