MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the European Green Deal
10.1.2020 - (2019/2956(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 132(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Iratxe García Pérez, Miriam Dalli
on behalf of the S&D Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B9-0040/2020
B9‑0045/2020
European Parliament resolution on the European Green Deal
The European Parliament,
– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),
– having regard to the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),
– having regard to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD),
– having regard to the Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP21) in Paris on 12 December 2015 (the Paris Agreement),
– having regard to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) special report on global warming of 1.5 °C, its fifth assessment report (AR5) and its synthesis report thereon, its special report on climate change and land, and its special report on the ocean and cryosphere in a changing climate,
– having regard to the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), of 31 May 2019,
– having regard to its resolution of 28 November 2019 on the climate and environment emergency[1],
– having regard to Rule 132(2) of its Rules of Procedure,
1. Welcomes the communication from the Commission on the European Green Deal and supports its objective of transforming the EU into a more sustainable economy and a more just and prosperous society, while phasing out fossil fuels as soon as possible and reaching climate neutrality in Europe by 2050;
2. Strongly emphasises that the Green Deal and the model it presents for our societies should be based on three interlinked and mutually reinforcing pillars: a green pillar to achieve climate targets, nature conservation and a healthy environment; a red pillar to ensure a strong social dimension to the Green Deal; and a financial pillar, whereby sufficient financial resources should be provided to achieve these objectives;
3. Emphasises that Europe urgently needs a new sustainable economic model which combines social and environmental progress, reduces inequalities and improves the well-being of all, leaving no person and no place behind;
4. Recalls and reaffirms the objectives of the Paris Agreement, the CBD and the SDGs, as well as the European Pillar of Social Rights; reiterates that the European Green Deal should put Europe on the path of long-term sustainable growth, prosperity and well-being, ensuring that our environmental, economic and social policies are developed to ensure a just transition and to pave the way for positive and sustainable social, industrial and economic change, creating and maintaining high quality jobs, decreasing social inequalities, reducing imbalances between Member States and disparities in their levels of economic development, and removing geographical disparities as well as disparities between genders and between generations;
5. Recalls that the climate and environment emergency is one of the most important challenges facing humanity and that all states and players worldwide must do their utmost to fight it; underlines the EU’s role as a global leader in climate action, especially in the light of the withdrawal of the United States from the Paris Agreement, as well as the failure of the negotiations at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid;
6. Reiterates that the SDGs must guide this transformation so that the EU moves past an economic model that promotes waste and the depletion of resources, and instead promotes a model for human development that is compatible with a healthy planet; underlines, in this regard, the fact that the European Green Deal must drive forward a new industrial revolution that brings together the strongest social rights, environmental integrity, regional cohesion, sustainability and future-proof industries that are globally competitive, to the benefit of the many and not the few;
7. Reiterates that the transition to a climate neutral economy and sustainable society must be carried out in conjunction with the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights in order to create a Europe with social cohesion at its core, where wages, working conditions and social rights are improved and not eroded, and where we compete globally on the basis of knowledge, sustainability and innovation, and not on the basis of lower wages, reduced rights and more precarious working conditions; demands that all initiatives taken under the European Green Deal be fully compatible with the European Pillar of Social Rights, measured with comprehensive environmental and social indicators;
Increasing the EU’s climate ambition for 2030 and 2050
8. Calls for an ambitious European Climate Law with a legally binding goal for reaching net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 at the latest, having an intermediate target of at least 55 % for 2030, and setting a goal for 2040; asks the Commission to introduce all the required legislative and non-legislative proposals in the next two years, making all sectors contribute to achieving the emissions reduction targets; asks the Council to adopt the 2030 target in line with the Paris Agreement before June 2020; expects that discussions on all open issues of the Paris Rulebook, including Article 6 thereof, should be finalised at the COP26 in Glasgow;
9. Believes that in order for these targets to have a meaningful effect on the price of carbon, the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) needs to be revised accordingly, in particular by increasing the linear reduction factor and reducing the free allocation of allowances to reflect technical progress;
10. Believes that taxation also has a role to play in achieving the new targets; Calls, in particular, on the Commission and Council to revise the Energy Tax Directive[2] and end the tax exemptions for aviation and maritime fuels; asks the Commission to ensure that this revision avoids any widening of inequalities and extra costs for the poorest in society;
11. Reiterates that all relevant climate-related policy instruments must be revised and aligned, as soon as possible, with the increased EU climate ambition in order to deliver the additional reductions in GHG emissions;
12. Calls for the swift adoption of an ambitious WTO-compatible carbon border adjustment mechanism in order to enhance global climate action and create a level playing field for European industries, while ensuring burden sharing among major global economies and taking into account the impacts of such measures on developing countries; welcomes the Commission’s view that such a mechanism would be an alternative to the carbon leakage measures currently taken in the EU ETS; calls on the Commission to ensure the coherence of all carbon-leakage protection mechanisms in order to avoid double, inefficient or insufficient protection;
13. Calls for a new, more ambitious EU strategy on adaptation to climate change that responds adequately to the global climate emergency; points out that the current EU strategy on adaptation to climate change has helped to focus decision-makers on the need to prepare for climate hazards, and helped to ensure that EU level policies and budgets integrate climate change considerations; recalls, however, that more effort on climate-proofing, resilience building, prevention and preparedness is needed in the EU and its Member States;
14. Underlines that the European Climate Pact must bring together citizens, regions, local communities, civil society, trade unions and industry as actors in the movement towards climate neutrality, based on genuine dialogue and a participatory process, including in the design and implementation of policies, where all concerned will have a say, be it at local, regional or national level; considers it important to cooperate with stakeholders from energy intensive sectors and the relevant social partners, especially workers, NGOs and academics, in setting up sector specific climate pacts that can contribute to finding sustainable solutions in the transition to carbon-neutral economies;
15. Reiterates that it is essential to ensure that EU citizens have the genuine access to justice guaranteed by the Aarhus Convention by allowing members of the public to challenge the legality of decisions taken by the EU institutions with effects on the environment before the EU courts; believes, therefore, that the Aarhus Regulation should be revised and that the EU’s non-compliance with the Convention must be corrected;
Reinforcing the social dimension of the Green Deal
16. Stresses that the European Green Deal should actively contribute to achieving the SDGs in line with the objectives of the European Union, including the well-being of people, sustainable development, equality between women and men as well as solidarity between generations; underlines that the Green Deal must be a deal for citizens, ensuring a just transition, as well as the sustainable use and fair distribution of resources;
17. Calls, in this context, for a Sustainable Development Pact which puts social and environmental objectives on the same level as economic objectives; believes that the new Pact should complement the Stability and Growth Pact, thereby resolving its significant contradictions in terms of social and environmental justice;
18. Stresses the need to reform the European Semester process and to turn it into a European Sustainability Semester process, coordinating economic, social and environmental policies to achieve the SDGs; points out that this reform must put environmental, social and economic indicators on an equal footing;
19. Is aware that the transition to carbon neutrality will bring substantial changes to production, consumption and working patterns in Europe; calls, therefore, for a comprehensive action plan to implement the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights at EU level, including the implementation of a European Child Guarantee, decent living wages, the strengthening of collective bargaining, an initiative for affordable housing, the tackling of energy poverty, and the introduction of a directive on decent working conditions and a legal framework for digital labour rights, such as the right to disconnect; urges Member States at the same time to implement the European Pillar of Social rights at national level in order to guarantee equal opportunities and access to the labour market, fair working conditions, social protection and inclusion in a fast-changing world;
20. Calls for mandatory corporate social responsibility with a view to improving the sustainability of corporate action; stresses the need for a significant strengthening of workplace democracy in order to improve working conditions and to ensure the proper involvement of workers in restructuring processes; emphasises that the implementation of the European Green Deal must involve social partners and civil society to achieve carbon neutrality in a fair, inclusive and socially sustainable manner;
Supplying clean, affordable and secure energy
21. Recalls that the principle of ‘energy efficiency first’ is fundamental to reducing the EU’s energy dependency and emissions from energy production, while also providing local jobs in energy efficiency renovations and reducing citizens’ energy bills; calls for the Energy Efficiency Directive[3] and Energy Performance of Buildings Directive[4] to be revised and their implementation reinforced, paying special attention to vulnerable citizens;
22. Recalls that the European Energy Security Strategy should be fully in line with the objective of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 while ensuring security of supply; calls on the Commission to address risks related to supply disruptions and to reduce the use of costly imported fuels, exposure to price shocks and systemic price increases; calls on the Commission furthermore to adapt the strategy to take into account the increasing need for electricity stemming from decarbonisation efforts such as the electrification of industrial processes and transport, as well as from increasing energy consumption related to the deployment of the Internet of Things;
23. Emphasises that the EU’s future energy system should be based on renewable energy sources with a rapid phase-out of fossil fuels, taking into account the differences between Member States, starting with the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies by 2020; underlines the fact that in order to meet the EU’s climate and sustainability goals, all sectors must increase their use of renewable energy;
24. Welcomes the commitment of the Commission to addressing energy poverty by producing guidance for Member States in 2020; calls for targeted actions in close cooperation with Member States and the exchange of best practices with the aim of reducing energy poverty while supporting equal access to financing tools for energy efficiency renovations;
25. Takes note of the Commission’s intention to propose a new initiative on renovation and to promote a wave of renovation of public and private buildings; welcomes, in particular, the emphasis on the renovation of social housing to help energy-poor households, and on the renovation of schools and hospitals; calls for equal access to financing tools for energy efficiency renovations;
26. Expresses reservations about the potential inclusion of building emissions in the EU ETS; emphasises that in any event the potential inclusion of building emissions in the EU ETS should not shift the burden of decarbonisation towards our citizens;
27. Calls on the Commission to urgently review the regulatory framework for energy infrastructure, including the TEN-E Regulation[5], in view of the objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050; stresses that the TEN-E Regulation should be reviewed before the new MFF 2021-2027 is finalised; highlights the importance of completing the European renewable energy market and increasing efficiency through the reinforcement of interconnections;
Mobilising industry for a clean and circular economy
28. Welcomes the focus of the Commission on the circular economy and looks forward to the new circular economy action plan; underlines the need for a comprehensive approach and for actions to transform the European economy into a truly sustainable and circular model, with circularity mainstreamed across policy sectors;
29. Agrees that rapid action is needed, in particular on the most resource intensive sectors, including textiles and construction; calls for ambitious proposals to further tackle the use of plastics and microplastics, including unintentional microplastics and plastic packaging; supports the approach to circular design and the setting of minimum requirements to prevent environmentally harmful products from being placed on the EU market, but emphasises that these requirements must be robust and in line with the EU’s climate and environment ambitions; calls on the Commission to ensure non-toxic material cycles by stepping up the substitution of substances of very high concern, facilitating circularity and minimising the impacts of chemicals on human health and the environment;
30. Emphasises the importance of respecting the waste hierarchy; calls for ambitious targets on waste prevention and reuse, including on halving food waste by 2030; supports the intention of the Commission to end waste exports from the EU;
31. Welcomes the intention to bring forward a new legislative proposal to ensure a safe, circular and sustainable battery value chain for all batteries; underlines the need to create a strong and sustainable battery and storage cluster in Europe, given that energy storage has great potential in cutting emissions in road and sea transport, as well as in electrical systems and heating; emphasises that the use of energy related to the production and use of batteries should be in line with the targets for the reduction of CO2 emissions and the increased use of renewable energy sources;
32. Calls on the Commission to establish a legal framework to drive sustainable consumption, notably with a view to increasing product lifespans, introducing a right to repair for consumers and banning built-in obsolescence of devices; stresses also that consumers should have access to reliable and clear information on the environmental and social footprint of products;
33. Urges the Commission to propose a new European industrial strategy for climate neutral industry while maintaining and developing international competitiveness and avoiding the delocalisation of European industries; stresses that this strategy should focus on developing and creating value chains for economically viable and sustainable products, processes and business models, entailing a real transformation of industrial production, aimed at achieving climate neutrality and circularity, leveraging private and public investments;
34. Considers that the industrial strategy should integrate, as proposed, the green and digital transformations, including due consideration for the energy transition and the impacts on the workforce, as well as the re-skilling and up-skilling of workers; calls on the Commission to closely look at the regional dimension of this strategy and the so-called ‘smart specialisation’ strategy followed so far; insists that the strategy must include renewed and reinforced social dialogue, with workers fully involved in the design and definition of the strategy;
35. Calls on the Commission to encourage and raise awareness of new sustainable business models based on changing behaviours to renting and sharing goods and services, while keeping them affordable and guaranteeing a high level of consumer and worker protection; stresses the potential of green and social public procurement in the transition to a sustainable economy; welcomes, in this respect, the commitments of the Commission to propose further legislation and guidance on green public procurement but emphasises the importance of also fully applying the social and innovation criteria;
Accelerating the shift to sustainable and smart mobility
36. Deems it crucial to achieve a comprehensive transition of the transport sector towards sustainable zero-emissions mobility while protecting the rights of workers and their social conditions, and ensuring affordable mobility for all; emphasises that the ‘polluter pays’ principle should be respected, particularly in actions such as road charging;
37. Calls on the Commission to create a long-term holistic strategy for transport to enable the EU to reach its climate targets while ensuring a well-functioning internal market; insists that more action is needed to tackle emissions from transport, in particular in the aviation and maritime sectors; supports, in this regard, the reduction of free allowances for airlines in the EU ETS; calls also for a rapid inclusion of the maritime sector in the ETS, accompanied by ambitious proposals for the greening of ports; emphasises that any action, or lack of action, taken at global level should not hinder the EU’s ability to take more ambitious actions of its own; recognises the potential that sustainable aviation fuels have in cutting the emissions of aviation and calls for legislative measures to support the use of existing and future solutions;
38. Insists, likewise, that fuel standards must add to a transition that cannot be driven exclusively by a market-based system; Urges the Commission, therefore, to propose other measures, including improving fuel quality in shipping by banning the use of heavy fuel oils in EU waters and banning the discharge of scrubber residues in open waters;
39. Strongly opposes the extension of the ETS to cover road transport; considers that the specific legislation on CO2 emissions performance standards for cars and vans should be strengthened, as should CO2 standards for trucks, which were not mentioned in the Commission communication; welcomes also the intention to revise standards for emissions of air pollutants from vehicles; emphasises the urgent need for stringent Euro 7 standards for cars, vans and heavy-duty vehicles to reduce the impacts of air pollution on human health and the environment;
40. Calls on the Commission to come up with binding and enforceable targets to pave the way for the electrification of road transport; stresses that any initiatives ramping up the production and deployment of sustainable alternative fuels should not be based on the use of unsustainable biofuels and should not contribute to the carbon lock-in effect;
41. Stresses the need for an urgent revision of the Directive on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure[6] and the need for binding targets for Member States; considers it crucial to ensure sufficient investments in developing appropriate infrastructure for zero-emission mobility, including intermodal platforms; highlights the role of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) in supporting the transition towards smart, sustainable and safe mobility in the EU;
42. Calls on the Commission to step up its efforts to improve the connectivity of the European railway network – in particular international connections – in order to make passenger transport by rail more attractive for medium and long distance travel; calls, furthermore, for improvements to the capacity of railways and inland waterways for freight;
From ‘Farm to Fork’: designing a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system
43. Calls on the Commission to use the Farm to Fork strategy to build a truly long-term vision for Europe’s sustainable and competitive food system, able to guarantee access to healthy and high quality products through binding targets for agriculture on biodiversity, climate, air pollution, water pollution, pesticides use and land degradation, while addressing sustainability issues around consumption, health and trade and safeguarding a high level of animal health and welfare, and at the same time promoting reciprocity of EU production standards with all commercial partners;
44. Underlines the importance of European farmers and fishermen and fisherwomen in managing the transition towards a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system, while ensuring the livelihoods and fair income of farmers, fishermen and fisherwomen;
45. Recalls that while agriculture is responsible for around 10 % of the EU’s GHG emissions, it has the potential to help the EU reduce its emissions through good soil management, agroforestry, the protection of biodiversity and other land management techniques; recognises that global agriculture has the potential to make annual emission savings of about 3.9 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2050 – around 8 % of current global GHG emissions;
46. Stresses that the common agricultural policy (CAP) and the Farm to Fork Strategy must be determined together at European level, to complement each other and protect a fair balance between production, consumer health and the environment, and must be allocated adequate resources to strengthen farmers’ position in the agri-food supply chain;
47. Stands for a sustainable and efficient CAP which actively encourages farmers to deliver more environmental and climate benefits, including through strengthened common standards and mandatory requirements, especially for eco-schemes, providing a wide range of tools for farmers that are adapted to specific natural conditions in order to more efficiently use essential resources and inputs in food production, improve biodiversity and soils, increase carbon sequestration, preserve sensitive habitats, contribute to the circular economy, reduce waste in the production cycle and abolish subsides which damage the climate;
48. Reiterates that reducing pesticide use is one of the high priority targets for sustainable agriculture aimed at halting widespread contamination of food, soil and water resources and the decline of biodiversity, as well as negative impacts on human health; calls on the Commission, therefore, to introduce a short-, medium- and long-term Europe-wide mandatory target to reduce the frequency of pesticide use;
49. Stresses that in order to ensure sufficient high quality and nutritious food for a growing population, as well as to reduce food loss and waste, investments in innovation, smart agricultural techniques and agro-ecological production methods are needed, such as capturing methane from manure and using fertilisers more efficiently, aiming at a carbon neutral EU agricultural system;
50. Stresses that of the 30 % of the budget of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) for 2021-2027 that is reserved for climate action, a minimum of 25 % should be used for marine protection; recognises the potential of the fisheries sector in contributing to healthier and climate-friendly diets; strongly underlines the need for the sector to be in line with the EU’s environmental, climate and sustainability objectives whereby the protection of marine ecosystems and sustainability of fish stocks are ensured; emphasises the importance of ensuring adequate support for European fishermen and fisherwomen in their transition to sustainable fishing activities;
51. Calls for a revision of the Food Information to Consumers Regulation[7] to introduce an EU-wide front-of-pack nutritional labelling scheme in order to avoid fragmentation of the single market and to provide objective, transparent and consumer-friendly nutritional labelling at a glance on all products, taking into account consumer research; calls for improved mandatory country of origin labelling and clear information regarding the environmental footprint of food, to allow consumers to make more environmentally-friendly choices; calls also for method of production labelling; recalls the importance of transparent and consumer-friendly labelling directly on food labels, believes that digital means of providing information can supplement but not replace on-label information;
52. Calls on the Commission to continue tackling dual quality standards of food in the internal market to ensure that all Europeans have access to the same quality of food; highlights the fundamental role of education and awareness-raising in promoting the consumption of healthy and sustainable food;
Preserving and restoring ecosystems and biodiversity
53. Welcomes the commitments to present a new Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 ahead of the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity; stresses that the EU should push for an ambitious agreement on the post-2020 framework on biodiversity with a clear goal and targets; considers it crucial to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by 2030 both within the EU and globally;
54. Deeply regrets the fact that the EU is not meeting its existing commitments on biodiversity as set out in the Aichi Targets or the current biodiversity strategy; underlines that the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030 must contain legally binding targets for the EU and its Member States and be accompanied by sufficient resources and instruments to ensure these targets will be met and that the state of biodiversity and the environment are significantly improved;
55. Stresses the importance of increasing protected areas and improving their connectivity and management on land and at sea; takes note of the Commission’s plans to identify measures to improve and restore damaged ecosystems and to propose a nature restoration plan; underlines the importance of covering all ecosystems under such a plan and of putting in place legally binding instruments and targets for restoration;
56. Recalls that forests are indispensable to our planet and biodiversity; welcomes the intention of the Commission to prepare a new forest strategy and to tackle global deforestation; calls for an ambitious new forest strategy and afforestation measures which must be based on sustainability and which must protect and restore biodiversity in addition to mitigating climate change; stresses, furthermore, the need to put in place actions and measures to prevent forest fires;
57. Emphasises that robust regulatory measures taken on the basis of due diligence are needed to ensure that no products entering the EU market contribute to deforestation, biodiversity loss, degradation of the environment or violations of human rights in any phase of the supply chain; is of the opinion that EU action against deforestation should tackle its main drivers, including palm oil, soy, beef and cocoa; asks the Commission to phase out, as soon as possible, high ILUC-risk biofuels used in in the EU;
58. Emphasises that the 8th Environmental Action Programme must reflect the ambition presented in the European Green Deal and be fully aligned with and drive forward the implementation of the SDGs;
A zero pollution ambition for a toxic-free environment
59. Points out that the Zero-Pollution Action Plan for air, water and soil must be a comprehensive and cross-cutting strategy to protect citizens’ health from environmental degradation and pollution; highlights that this strategy should move away from pollution reduction to pollution prevention and ultimately net zero pollution, as well as addressing pollution from a wide array of human activities, such as industrial, domestic, transport, tourism and agricultural sources;
60. Reiterates that the EU must fully align air quality standards with the latest scientific international consensus and the WHO recommendations; believes the objectives established under the National Emission Ceilings Directive[8] need to be strengthened by establishing reduction targets for methane, black carbon and mercury emissions in order to ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment; reiterates that in the meantime, existing horizontal air quality legislation must be implemented in full;
61. Underlines that the revision of the Industrial Emissions Directive[9] should put emphasis on preventing pollution, coherence with policies on the circular economy and decarbonisation; points out, in this respect, that industrial emissions rules need to be redesigned to prioritise clean energy production, water quality and supply, resource management, and substitution of chemicals of concern; reiterates that pollution sources not yet addressed at EU level, such as pollutant emissions from ships in ports and aeroplanes in airports, need to be tackled;
62. Expects the new chemicals strategy for sustainability to deliver a long-term overarching framework for chemicals policy that horizontally tackles various relevant pieces of legislation and policies, including identification, control and phase-out of chemicals of concern, in particular endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), substances that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction (CMRs), persistent chemicals, neurotoxicants and immuno-toxicants in all consumer products, especially where safer alternatives exist, while ensuring a non-toxic environment for current and future generations, especially for vulnerable populations;
63. Emphasises that the adoption of the horizontal criteria for the identification of EDCs across all sectors and the effective reduction of the overall exposure of humans and the environment to EDCs is of key importance; calls on the Commission, therefore, to revise EU legislation on toys and cosmetics to treat EDCs in the same way as CMRs and to revise legislation on food contact materials to substitute EDCs that are still in use; points out, moreover, that the new comprehensive framework on EDCs must ensure that mixture effects and combined exposures are taken into account;
64. Calls on the Commission to take clear legislative action on tackling pharmaceuticals in the environment, both as a result of the manufacturing process and of the use and disposal of medicines;
Financing the European Green Deal and ensuring a just transition
65. Underlines that new initiatives must be financed with additional fresh money; considers that only a comprehensive financing plan based on a coherent set of proposals that aim to boost public and private investments at every level (European, national, regional, local) would provide the additional investment needed to implement the European Green Deal; strongly believes that the principle of a just and inclusive transition should be at the very heart of this plan in order to tackle environmental, social and economic problems in a consistent and integrated manner; believes that the Sustainable Europe Investment Plan should help finance the transition to a carbon-neutral economy while helping workers, communities, and local authorities and tackling growing inequalities between people and places;
66. Highlights that EUR 260 billion of additional public and private investment is needed yearly in order to achieve the currently agreed climate and energy 2030 targets and that this figure is, according to the Commission itself, a conservative estimate; highlights that the Court of Auditors estimates that a total of EUR 1 115 billion of investment would be needed yearly in order to achieve the currently agreed 2030 climate and energy targets, and therefore believes that the Commission’s target should be revised upwards;
67. Calls for a revision of the current European fiscal framework to ensure proper financing of the European Green Deal; welcomes the Commission’s intention to work with Member States on the greening of national budgets but fears that this will fall short of the expectations and needs of European citizens and territories; calls for the revision of the current investment clause within the Stability and Growth Pact and the introduction of a golden rule in the European fiscal framework to exclude from the calculation of Member States’ public deficits any public investment aimed at mitigating or adapting to climate change in a just and inclusive manner;
68. Welcomes the adoption by the EIB board of directors on 14 November 2019 of a new energy lending policy as a positive contribution towards the achievement of the European Green Deal; calls for further revision of EIB investment policy to provide targeted financing for Green Deal initiatives as a matter of priority, while taking into account the additionality that EIB financing can provide vin combination with other sources; stresses that coordination with other financing instruments is crucial given that the EIB group alone cannot finance all of the European Green Deal initiatives; calls for a revision of the EIB governance framework to enhance its democratic accountability;
69. Highlights that the current market imbalance between low supply and high demand of sustainable financial products must be addressed; welcomes, in this regard, the agreement reached between Parliament and the Council on taxonomy, to ensure that sustainable investments are truly sustainable and to encourage private investment in these activities; insists that the private sector alone cannot be expected to reach the critical mass needed and that the public sector should increase its role in sustainable financial markets;
70. Believes that the planned revision of State Aid rules should aim at reinforcing and simplifying investment capacity in sustainable solutions and concrete tools for national, regional and local authorities whose role will be instrumental in an effective and innovative implementation of the European Green Deal; warns, however, that such a revision should not be used to weaken the strong set of EU competition rules but to allow for legitimate action in the implementation of the Green Deal and just transition;
71. Anticipates a progressive revision of the European Semester that integrates the SDGs, in order to make the European Semester process a powerful driver of change towards sustainable well-being for all in Europe; calls, therefore, for a more holistic approach to measuring the impact of policies towards the realisation of the SDGs beyond GDP, specifically shifting the focus towards people’s well-being; calls, furthermore, for the integration of well-being targets and indicators in the entire European Semester cycle, i.e. the Annual Growth Survey (AGS), the Alert Mechanism Report (AMR), Joint Employment Report and Country Specific Recommendations (CSRs);
72. Strongly welcomes the Commission’s commitment to the Just Transition Mechanism following Parliament’s repeated calls for such a mechanism to ensure that no one is left behind; stresses the importance of a just transition towards a climate neutral economy and the need for an anticipatory and participatory approach to ensure that all parts of society benefit from the transition and to support regions, particularly coal mining regions and carbon intensive regions, communities and workforces of all sectors that are most affected by decarbonisation, including by fostering the development of new projects and technologies for those communities; acknowledges that compensation funds alone do not guarantee a just transition and that a comprehensive EU strategy based on genuine dialogue with the people and communities concerned, for the development and modernisation of these regions along with the conversion of sites, the creation of high-quality and sustainable jobs, and social measures including re-skilling and up-skilling should be at the core of any transition policy; insists that the Just Transition Fund must be financed through additional fresh money, be complimentary and not be to the detriment of other long-term EU policies;
73. Reaffirms its unambiguous support for the principle of climate mainstreaming in the MFF, which needs to go beyond the levels of targeted spending shares as set out in the MFF interim report and by the Commission; further stresses the importance of integrating the climate and social dimension into decision making on all major MFF programmes and throughout the entire policy cycle; in this context, moreover, demands a more transparent, stringent and comprehensive methodology, including reformed performance indicators for defining and tracking climate and biodiversity-relevant expenditure, the prevention of financial support for harmful measures and the monitoring of the mid to long-term impact of climate mainstreaming for mitigation and adaptation;
74. Recalls the importance of introducing new own resources for the EU budget, namely generated by the implementation of EU initiatives for the protection of the environment, as stressed by Parliament on several occasions, without compromising the principle of budgetary universality; welcomes, as a starting point for negotiations, the 2018 Commission proposal for the introduction of own resources based on the auction revenues of the EU ETS and a tax on non-recycled plastic packaging; considers that any new carbon border adjustment mechanism should contribute to the financing of the EU budget;
75. Calls for an ambitious financial allocation for Cohesion Policy with a clear focus on environmental challenges, with at least 30 % allocated to the policy objective for a greener, low-carbon economy, transitioning towards a net zero carbon economy and a resilient Europe; underlines the need for full implementation of the concepts of sustainable growth and climate proofing in Cohesion Policy throughout the post-2020 period, including the aim of not using cohesion funds for investments linked to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels; recalls the importance of public investments in Cohesion Policy;
Mobilising research and fostering innovation
76. Stresses the need to maintain an ambitious budget for Horizon Europe of EUR 120 billion in current prices in order to address the significant innovation challenges for a digital and industrial transition to climate neutrality, taking into account that at least 35 % of the Horizon Europe budget should contribute to climate objectives; requests that the Commission maximise opportunities arising from the broader innovation environment based on science and knowledge, given that some new key enabling technologies such as machine learning, distributed ledger technology, low carbon and circular economy friendly technologies, low tech, 5G networks and quantum computing will be crucial to achieving climate neutrality by 2050;
77. Calls for adequate research funding and increased cross-disciplinary collaboration on the substitution of chemicals of concern – including those used in materials, processes, or technologies – and the development of safer alternatives on the basis of their hazards, performance, and economic viability, in order to avoid substituting a toxic chemical with another of equal or greater concern; asks the Commission and the Member States to facilitate transparent public-private investment partnerships for supporting research into safer alternatives and for the provision of technical support to SMEs, in particular on the technical feasibility of alternatives;
78. Underlines the importance of complementarity and synergies between funds and other EU instruments, as well as the importance of strengthening research and innovation and the technological transfer of results in the areas of climate change mitigation, adaptation, protection and restoration of biodiversity, resource efficiency and circularity, and low-carbon and zero-emission technologies, and the collection of data to support the delivery of the objectives of the European Green Deal; stresses that existing environment and climate-friendly innovative technologies have to be supported towards market readiness, particularly in the areas of scaling up, infrastructure development and pricing systems;
79. Insists on the importance of supporting market deployment, which is a key driver in transforming the EU’s substantial knowledge assets into innovations;
80. Further stresses the importance of creating an environment that is supportive of research and innovation, as well as a research and innovation ecosystem that fosters the development of breakthrough technologies and makes the testing of technologies and products possible, e.g. through less regulated test zones and/or test laboratories, an increased acceptance of failure in research and innovation and streamlined financial support;
‘Do no harm’ – mainstreaming sustainability in all EU policies
81. Insists on a joined-up approach to the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in both internal and external policies; stresses the importance of using nature-based solutions that contribute to both the protection of biodiversity and climate mitigation and adaptation; underlines that the precautionary principle should guide EU actions in all policy spheres together with the ‘do no harm’ principle, with the utmost regard for the principle of policy coherence for development, notably in terms of development, trade, agriculture, energy and climate;
82. Stresses the need to mainstream climate and environmental ambition into all EU policies, including trade policy; calls on the Commission to ensure that all future trade and investment agreements signed by the EU are fully compatible with the Paris Agreement and the SDGs and that environmental and climate provisions are legally binding and enforceable; asks the Commission to carry out and publish a comprehensive assessment of the consistency of the existing and forthcoming agreements with the Paris Agreement;
83. Asks the Commission to fulfil Scenario 1 of the Reflection Paper entitled ‘Towards a sustainable Europe by 2030’, as demanded by Parliament in its resolution of 14 March 2019 entitled ‘Annual strategic report on the implementation and delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)[10], requiring, inter alia, that a ‘sustainability first’ principle be integrated into the Better Regulation Agendas of the EU and its Member States;
84. Underlines that trade and sustainable development (TSD) chapters in EU trade agreements must include commitments by each of the parties to ratify and implement the eight core and four priority ILO Conventions, as well as the international multilateral environmental agreements by providing a roadmap for ratification before negotiations are concluded; emphasises that TSD chapters must include effective deterrent measures in the event of serious, proven breaches of environmental commitments, including trade sanctions, and must be covered by the general dispute settlement mechanisms, on an equal footing with the other parts of the agreement;
85. Welcomes the Commission’s intention of promoting sustainable supply chains in order to increase the benefits of the circular economy domestically and globally; underlines that this can only be done through mandatory due diligence obligations in line with OECD guidelines which fully respect environmental, social and safety standards as well as fully implementing the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights; expects the Commission to present a legislative initiative on due diligence which includes the introduction of a mandatory, transparent and functioning system of social and environmental traceability along the entire production chain;
The EU as a global leader
86. Strongly supports the continuation and further strengthening of the EU’s political outreach on the basis of ‘Green Deal diplomacy’, which is essential for mobilising climate action and the protection of the environment in partner countries and influencing global public opinion; encourages the Commission and the Member States to approach EU climate and environmental diplomacy in a holistic manner by creating links between climate change, the protection of biodiversity, sustainable development, agriculture, conflict resolution, migration and humanitarian concerns in order to facilitate the global transition toward net-zero emissions, climate resilience, sustainable development and food and water security;
87. Highlights that all external policy instruments should be fully in line with the EU’s climate, biodiversity and environmental objectives; recalls Parliament’s position that in the next financial programming period, actions under the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA III) should contribute at least 16 % of their overall financial envelope to climate objectives, and actions under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI) Regulation should contribute 45 % of their overall financial envelope to climate objectives, environmental management and protection, biodiversity and combatting desertification, with 30 % of the overall NDICI financial envelope dedicated to climate change mitigation and adaptation;
88. Reiterates the need to address the dramatic consequences climate change has on the long-term economic development of developing countries, in particular Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS); calls, therefore, for more investment in resilient infrastructure in developing countries in order to respond to the intensification of natural disasters;
89. Stresses that, according to the IPCC, indigenous and traditional knowledge is a major resource in preventing climate change, in particular owing to the fact that indigenous peoples’ territories encompass about 80 % of the remaining biodiversity in the world; underlines the need to address the interdependence of the climate, environment, economic and social dimensions, and in particular the direct effects that climate change has on indigenous communities and the acute existential threat faced by many of them, including uncontacted communities;
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90. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.
- [1] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0078.
- [2] OJ L 283, 31.10.2003, p. 51.
- [3] OJ L 315, 14.11.2012, p. 1.
- [4] OJ L 153, 18.6.2010, p. 13.
- [5] OJ L 115, 25.4.2013, p. 39.
- [6] OJ L 307, 28.10.2014, p. 1.
- [7] OJ L 304, 22.11.2011, p. 18.
- [8] OJ L 344, 17.12.2016, p. 1.
- [9] OJ L 334, 17.12.2010, p. 17.
- [10] Texts adopted, P9_TA(2019)0220.