The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a fourth Important Project of Common European Interest (‘IPCEI’) to support research, innovation and the first industrial deployment in the hydrogen value chain. The project contributes to the EU’s target of 90% reduction of emissions from the mobility and transport sectors, in order for the […]
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Circular economy: new EU rules on right to repair
The Council has today adopted a directive promoting the repair of broken or defective goods, also known as the right-to-repair (or R2R) directive. This legislation will make it easier for consumers to seek repair instead of replacement and repair services will become more accessible, transparent and attractive. The adoption of the directive is the last step in […]
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Eurostat: EU natural gas demand falls by 7.4% in 2023
The EU‘s demand for natural gas has been declining for 2 consecutive years. After a 13.3% yearly decrease in 2022, demand fell by another 7.4% in 2023, totalling 12.72 million terajoules in 2023. This also marks the lowest demand recorded since the collection of monthly cumulated data began in 2008. This reduction has been affected by measures outlined […]
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Spain’s bathing waters remain safe
The vast majority of bathing sites in Spain met the highest quality level of EU standards (‘excellent’ quality) in 2023, according to the latest annual bathing water report. This represents 87.6% of the most frequented bathing waters in Spain (EU average: 85.4%). Up to 97% of all officially identified bathing waters in Spain met the […]
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Council approves gas and hydrogen market package
The Council has adopted a regulation and a directive establishing common internal market rules for renewable and natural gases and hydrogen and reforming the existing EU gas legislation. The new rules will help make the shift to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular hydrogen, in the energy system, with a view to achieving the EU’s […]
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The Commission welcomes the agreement on sustainable fisheries reached at Indian Ocean Tuna Commission
The EU welcomes the important decisions reached during the 28th annual meeting of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), which will make fisheries in the Indian Ocean more sustainable. 11 new conservation and management measures were adopted. After three years of complex negotiations, and based on a proposal from the EU, the Members of the IOTC adopted a […]
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The European Commission approves a €120 million Spanish scheme to support investments in strategic sectors of the Asturias region
The European Commission has approved a €120 million Spanish scheme to support investments in strategic sectors in the Asturias region to foster the transition to a zero net emission economy, in line with the Green Deal Industrial Plan. The scheme was approved under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework for state aid, adopted by the […]
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EU boosts readiness to combat 2024 wildfire season
As Europe is preparing for the approaching wildfire season, the EU is taking significant steps to bolster firefighting efforts and safeguard communities, by pre-positioning firefighters and assembling a fleet of firefighting aircraft. First, 556 firefighters from 12 countries will be strategically prepositioned across key locations in Europe this summer, such as France, Greece, Portugal, and Spain, ready […]
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European Citizens’ Initiative on taxation of greenhouse gas emissions
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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