Keres

This study seeks to present a comprehensive overview of non-legislative resolutions adopted by the Parliament between July 2019 and December 2021 on the basis of own-initiative reports, in the light of the response provided by the Commission, the subsequent follow-up documents and related actions undertaken by the Commission up to 31 January 2022. The publication is part of Parliament’s Strategic Execution Framework (2019-2021). The aim of this joint DG PRES and DG EPRS project on 'Improved reporting ...

Fluorinated gases ('F-gases') are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs), with a global warming potential (GWP) up to 25 000 times higher than that of CO2. Used in a wide range of appliances – such as refrigerators, air conditioners, foams and fire extinguishers – F-gas emissions occur throughout appliances' life cycles. Today, F-gas emissions amount to 2.5 % of the EU's total GHG emissions, levels having doubled between 1990 and 2014, in contrast to those of other GHG emissions, which fell. The steep increase ...

The proposal to revise the market stability reserve (MSR) for the EU emissions trading system (ETS) consists of prolonging its current parameters. Under the current rules, the intake rate of allowances to the MSR and the minimum allowances placed in the reserve have been doubled until the end of 2023, to allow for a quick removal of surplus EU ETS allowances. The proposal is aimed at maintaining the current doubled intake rate (24 %) and minimum number of allowances placed in the reserve (200 million ...

In the European Union (EU), one in eight deaths is linked to environmental pollution. Pollution is also one of the five main causes of biodiversity loss, representing a significant cost for society. The EU has set the goal of achieving zero pollution for a non-toxic environment by 2050. This would mean reducing air, water and soil pollution to 'levels no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems and respecting the boundaries the planet can cope with'. Achieving this long-term ambition ...

The amount of clothes bought per person in the European Union (EU) has increased by 40 % in just a few decades, driven by a fall in prices and the increased speed with which fashion is delivered to consumers. Clothing has the fourth highest impact on the environment of all categories of EU consumption. This impact is often felt in non-EU countries, where most production takes place. The production of raw materials, spinning them into fibres, weaving fabrics and dyeing require enormous amounts of ...

The concept of important projects of common European interest (IPCEIs) is enshrined in Article 107(3)(b) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. It enables the Commission to allow Member States to design and implement national investments targeting important market failures or societal challenges that could not otherwise be addressed. In November 2021, the Commission adopted a communication updating a 2014 communication that established the first set of guidance to be used for the ...

Regulation (EU) 2019/1021 on persistent organic pollutants (POPs Regulation) aims at eliminating or restricting production and use of these toxic substances and their release into the air, water and soil, and regulating waste containing or contaminated by them. The POPs Regulation implements EU commitments under international legal acts such as the Stockholm Convention on POPs. On 28 October 2021, the European Commission adopted a legislative proposal to review Annexes IV and V on waste management ...

Ecodesign and energy labelling policies play an important role in the decarbonisation of the energy system. Ecodesign bans the least-efficient products from the market, while energy labelling guides consumers towards the most energy efficient products. While the Ecodesign Directive focused largely on energy aspects, its revision became necessary in light of the transition to a circular economy where the use of natural resources is reassessed to maximise their value and minimise their waste. The recently ...

In July 2021, the European Commission put forward the 'fit for 55' package of legislative proposals, aimed at ensuring the success of the European Green Deal. The FuelEU Maritime regulation is one of these proposals and, together with four other proposals, it seeks to steer the EU maritime sector towards decarbonisation. In the European Parliament, the Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) leads the work on this file. On 4 April 2022, the rapporteur Jörgen Warborn put forward his draft report ...

On 17 November 2021, the European Commission tabled a legislative proposal aimed at curbing deforestation and forest degradation driven by the expansion of agricultural land used to produce specific commodities, namely cattle, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soya and wood. Following up on a 2020 European Parliament resolution, which called for regulatory action to tackle EU-driven global deforestation, the proposal would impose due diligence obligations on operators placing these commodities and some derived ...