Energy & Environment
Years-long wait for permits blocking European wind farms, industry says
Est. 2minHundreds of gigawatts of wind energy projects are waiting for permits to connect to Europe's power grid, a backlog that threatens to slow the shift to green energy, industry association WindEurope said on Friday (5 July).
Bulgaria pays €142 million to companies that jumped in after Gazprom cut-off
Est. 2minThe Bulgarian government decided on Thursday to compensate natural gas traders who helped fill the state-owned Chiren gas storage facility with 278 million leva (€142 million) after the sudden cut-off of Russian gas supplies in late April 2022.
Cross-border rail remains fragmented as EU countries drag their feet on harmonisation
Est. 3minEU governments' efforts to harmonise rail rules across the EU have been slow and uneven, according to a new report by the EU agency for railways (ERA), resulting in cross-border incompatibilities that are hampering rail use.
German pressure on EU-China trade outcomes piles up as Commission tariffs kick in
Est. 7minPressure from German negotiators to repeal proposed tariffs on Chinese electric cars is set to intensify in the coming weeks after the Commission confirmed on Thursday (4 July) that provisional duties kick in from Friday, pending final approval from the member states.
Iberian leaders agree to negotiate energy interconnections with France
Est. 3minPortugal and Spain have agreed to participate jointly in meetings with France on energy interconnections, arguing that the issue is a European one and not just one between the Iberian peninsula and France, the environment ministers announced on Wednesday.
Germany stops planned sale of VW’s gas turbine business to China
Est. 2minGermany's cabinet blocked the planned sale of the gas turbine business of Volkswagen unit MAN Energy Solutions to a Chinese company on Wednesday (3 July), with ministers citing security reasons.
EPP, Socialists, Liberals finalise wishlists for von der Leyen’s second term
Est. 6minThe three EU Parliament groups of the centrist majority diverge on some key policy issues for the next mandate, according to draft action plans seen by Euractiv, the basis for their talks with Ursula von der Leyen as she seeks support to win a second mandate as Commission president.
Hamburg group signs deal for Chinese wind turbines in German waters
Est. 4minRenewables developer Luxcara sealed a contract on Tuesday (2 July), which will see 16 Chinese wind turbines installed in Germany for the first time, adding fuel to EU industry fears of being overtaken by competition from abroad.
Energy Community ministers meet in Bosnia and Herzegovina as EU tariffs loom
Est. 3minEU candidate countries from the continent's South and East are meeting in Bosnia and Herzegovina today, 3 July, to reinforce efforts to integrate with the bloc’s energy markets to avoid potential tariffs on power exports to the EU.
What John Lennon got right – and wrong – about Europe’s energy and climate plans
Est. 7minJohn Lennon may not have known much about NECPs but he still has wisdom to share – particularly his observation that “life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans.”
Commission wants to curb harmful chemicals in cosmetics but no progress on regulation
Est. 4minThe Commission is preparing a new ban on Carcinogenic, Mutagenic or toxic for Reproduction (CMR) substances from use in Cosmetics, while the announced revision of the Cosmetics Regulation is not envisaged this year.
Former Bulgarian PM: We must view the Green Deal through a ‘new prism’
Est. 4minThe European Green Deal, which came under heavy political attacks in the past year, must be looked at through a new prism of opportunity and pragmatism, Sergei Stanishev, former Bulgarian prime minister and former leader of the Party of European Socialists, told Euractiv in an interview.
ENVI: Busiest EU Parliament committee to be split up, says leading EPP lawmaker
Est. 3minThe European Parliament’s environment and health committee (ENVI), burdened with a heavy workload in the last five-year term, is on track to be split up so that it no longer handles health and food safety, according to heavyweight centre-right EU lawmaker Peter Liese.
EU needs to double investment to meet climate goals: report
Est. 3minThe European Union needs to double targeted investment to meet its 2030 climate goal, a consortium of research organisations said on Tuesday (2 July), warning that the pace of Europe's related action must accelerate.
Hydrogen sector asks EU to help local firms compete with China
Est. 2minEuropean manufacturers of hydrogen equipment have urged the European Union to step in to help the industry compete with cheaper Chinese producers, in a letter seen by Reuters on Monday (1 July).
Biodiversity problems, power sector solutions
Est. 6minThe European power sector's commitment to biodiversity is not just a moral obligation, but a pragmatic strategy for ensuring sustainable project development, lowering consenting risks and gaining more social acceptance.
EPP’s energy and environment plans for next five years
Est. 3minA draft version of the EPP’s priorities for the next European Commission, seen by Euractiv, contains a continued, but reduced commitment to climate action and nature protection.
Are EU countries at risk of missing EU climate targets?
Sunday (30 June) marked the deadline for EU countries to submit their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP), outlining how each member state will deliver domestically on the EU’s carbon neutrality goals by 2030. However, only a handful of countries have met the deadline so far. Is the EU at risk of missing its climate neutrality target?
Central and Eastern Europe’s climate plans lack ambition, say environmental NGOs
Est. 4minThe updated national energy and climate plans (NECPs) are due to be submitted on 30 June, and environmental NGOs are denouncing the lack of ambition on the part of Central and Eastern European countries (CEE) in their decarbonisation policies.
Brussels urges EU countries to submit climate plans ‘as soon as possible’
Est. 2minOnly five EU countries have submitted their long-term climate and energy plans on time, with the European Commission planning to remind the laggards at informal ministerial meetings.
Decarbonising district heating will require power-to-heat technology
Est. 10minPower-to-heat shows how renewable energy can also be used for heating. This technology may be one of the most preferred and useful options for decarbonising district heating systems in Poland.
Why backing Germany’s LNG investment is a roadblock – not a bridge to the future
Est. 5minThe European Commission's recent decision to greenlight €40 million in State aid for a new Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal in Brunsbüttel, Germany is a short-sighted gamble riddled with environmental and legal concerns. Stéphanie Nieuwbourg is a legal expert at …
National energy and climate plan: what France risks if it fails to comply
Est. 5minBy failing to meet its renewable energy targets for 2020, and refusing to set similar targets for 2030. France risks heavy fines and the freezing of European funds. But in practice, imposition of penalties seem a long way off.
Greek firefighters battle wildfires for second day amid strong winds
Est. 2minGreek firefighters were battling two wildfires near Athens on Sunday (30 June) amid strong winds, just hours after managing to contain blazes in a mountainous area also near the capital as well as on an island in the Aegean Sea.