EU Policy News

EU Tranport ministers discuss use of Cohesion Funds for TEN T

On 8 February 2011, the transport ministers of the 27 Member States, European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas and Chairman of the TRAN Committee of European Parliament Brian Simpson held a policy debate on the review of the TEN-T trans-European transport network at Gödöllő. The EU Commission is expected to publish its legislative proposal on the review of the TEN-T policy this summer. The ministers’ meeting held in Hungary offered an opportunity for a high-level discussion on the future of the TEN-T policy. Member States confirmed to the Hungarian Presidency that its choice to put the TEN-T policy revision on the agenda of this informal ministerial meeting was timely and essential. The EHA has met with the Commission to discuss  hydrogen distribution in the future network.

Ministers expressed their appreciation for the Hungarian EU Presidency’s efforts to orient the debate and provided constructive contributions to the questions formulated by the Presidency. The Commission Staff Working Document on the new TEN-T policy planning and implementation issues has been confirmed as a good basis for the TEN-T revision. The Commission intends to take into account the Member States’ views and hold high-level bilateral consultations with Member States on the detailed core network maps before presenting its new TEN-T Guidelines proposal.

Member States supported the development of a wide comprehensive network while concentrating the efforts on the core network of the highest strategical importance. Broad consensus was reached that the lack of financial resources due to the current economic crisis does not mean that the extension of the long-term network should be reduced. Ministers welcomed the intention of the Commission to continue to make EU funding available to develop the comprehensive network in the future, in particular in Member States eligible for Cohesion Fund. They supported the principle that the TEN-T and the cohesion policies could be better coordinated, while the different funds should contribute to their overall policy framework and objectives. They discussed innovative financing instruments which could better mobilize private financing; however these financial instruments could neither be a systematic solution nor a general alternative to state budget or European Union financing.

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Positive Discussion on ETS and Energy Efficiency

The meeting of Energy ministers in Denmark on Friday 20 April 2012 concluded by reaching an agreement on the approach recommended by the European Commission in its energy roadmap to 2050. Europe’s energy future will involve higher efficiency, more renewables and infrastructure upgrades, they said.
The ministers backed the roadmap’s ‘no regret’ options, which the commission says would apply to all decarbonisation scenarios envisaged in the document, regardless of the choices made by member states.

..read more Updated 24 Apr, 2012

EU Parliament adopts report on EC proposal for a new Energy Tax Directive

On April 19 the EU Parliament adopted the report of Luxemburg’s MEP Astrid Lulling (EPP), and Swedish shadow Rapporteur, Olle Ludvigson (S&D)

..read more Updated 19 Apr, 2012

MEPs to vote on Energy Taxation Directive

MEPs will today vote  on the proposal for revision of the 2003 Energy Taxation Directive (ETD) following a report by Astrid Lulling (EPP, Luxembourg) in Strasbourg last night. The revision marks the introduction of CO 2 in the taxation of energy products and electricity and the end of the special status given to diesel fuel and unleaded petrol.   The proposal, presented by the European Commission in 2011, constitutes the response to the EU summit’s 2008 request to align the European Union’s energy and climate change objectives. Under the revision, taxation would be based not only on energy content but also on the CO 2 content of energy products, and would include a minimum level for CO 2. Member states will therefore have to make a clear distinction between the two components: taxation of CO 2 and taxation of the energy source. The text also provides for abolishing the reductions granted for diesel fuel for professional use as well as the preferential price for unleaded petrol. More generally, it does away with the existing distinction between commercial and private use of energy products to produce heat and electricity. While maintaining a degree of flexibility, including the possibility for member states to levy more than one tax on energy consumption, [...]

..read more Updated 19 Apr, 2012