The European Commission decided to register a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) entitled ‘Save the Planet by shifting taxation from labour to greenhouse gas emissions’. The organisers of the initiative call on the Commission to strengthen the Fit for 55 Package and the EU carbon pricing system by setting a faster phase-out of free allowances and allowing […]
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April infringement package: main decisions for Spain
The main decisions adopted by the Commission for Spain are presented below, grouped by policy area. Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Commission urges BULGARIA, SPAIN and ROMANIA to comply with public procurement legislation The European Commission has decided to pursue infringement proceedings by sending a letter of formal notice to Romania [INFR(2023)2114] and by […]
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Commission opens two in-depth investigations under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation in the solar photovoltaic sector
The Commission launched two in-depth investigations under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation. The investigations relate to the potentially market distortive role of foreign subsidies given to bidders in a public procurement procedure. The Commission will assess whether the economic operators concerned did benefit from an unfair advantage to win public contracts in the EU. The investigations […]
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European Environment Agency: Now is the time to accelerate the shift to a more circular Europe
Despite legislative steps forward over the past five years, efforts to transform Europe’s largely linear, ‘throw-away’ economy into a circular one will require further bold action and strong implementation of existing measures. Decisive action is essential to drastically reduce waste, prioritise reduction of resource use, improve recycling rates and improve the introduction of products that […]
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Spain: EIB and Iberdrola agree a €700 million green loan for power grid expansion
The European Investment Bank (EIB) approved a €700 million green loan to expand Iberdrola’s electricity-distribution grid in Spain. An initial, €500 million tranche was signed in Madrid by EIB Director General for European Union Operations, Jean-Christophe Laloux, and Iberdrola Finance, Control and Corporate Development Director José Sainz Armada. The total investment under the project amounts […]
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Solar irrigation: efficient green energy for the future of agriculture
When it comes to sustainable agriculture, energy-efficient solutions play a fundamental role. In this quest for sustainability, the emergence of solar irrigation (SI) is proving to be a game changer. The EU-funded SolAqua project, which concluded in September 2023, has made huge advances in overcoming barriers to the market uptake of SI in Europe and […]
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Energy efficiency of buildings: MEPs adopt plans to decarbonise the sector
On Tuesday, MEPs adopted plans, already agreed upon with Council, to help reduce energy consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions from the buildings sector. The proposed revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive aims to progressively reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy consumption in the EU building sector, and make it climate neutral by 2050. […]
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United and prepared against energy supply disruptions
Ministers held an exchange of views on the state of play of security of supply and preparations for winter 2024-2025. Among other things, they addressed ways to avoid, both individually and collectively, new price shocks and to strengthen energy security, while achieving the established targets on decarbonisation and on phasing out Russian fossil fuels. Different […]
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The European Commission recommends that Member States continue to save gas in order to secure supply and stabilise markets
Gas savings by businesses and citizens across the EU have made an important contribution to tackling the energy crisis, spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine two years ago. Collectively, the EU reduced gas demand by 18% between August 2022 and December 2023, saving around 101 billion cubic metres of gas. These efforts go above and beyond the 15% savings target which […]
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