The Council agreed its position (general approach) on a proposal to amend the EU’s electricity market design (EMD). The aim of the reform is to make electricity prices less dependent on volatile fossil fuel prices and shield consumers from price spikes, notably by improving the way the long-term electricity market works. The proposal is part of a wider reform of […]
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Council agrees to tighten CO2 emission standards for heavy duty vehicles
The Council has reached an agreement (‘general approach’) on a proposal to update and strengthen the regulation on CO2 emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles. The aim of the proposal is to further reduce CO₂ emissions in the road transport sector and to introduce new targets for 2030, 2035 and 2040. The new rules will contribute to […]
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European Commission proposes measures to reduce microplastic pollution from plastic pellets
The Commission is proposing for the first time measures to prevent microplastic pollution from the unintentional release of plastic pellets. Currently, between 52 and 184 thousand tonnes of pellets are released in the environment each year due to mishandling throughout the entire supply chain. The proposal aims to ensure that all operators handling pellets in […]
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European Commission publishes new tools for anticipating and adapting to the sectoral consequences of droughts
In recent years, droughts have significantly affected regions across the EU. However, accurate assessment and quantification of drought risks and their impacts had remained challenging due to the complex nature of these events. Droughts cannot be easily defined or predicted: they develop gradually, can occur outside of seasonal patterns, and may persist over extended periods. […]
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Council adopts new rules on renewable energies
The Council today adopted the new Renewables Energy Directive to raise the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030 with an additional 2.5% indicative top up to allow the target of 45% to be achieved. Each member state will contribute to this common target. All member states will contribute to achieving […]
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European Union agrees to phase down fluorinated gases and ozone-depleting substances
The Council and Parliament negotiators today reached a provisional political agreement on phasing down substances that cause global warming and deplete the ozone layer. This provisional agreement finalises negotiations on fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases) and confirms an informal agreement reached in June on ozone-depleting substances (ODSs). While existing EU legislation has already limited the use […]
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Spanish city Viladecans, winner of the European Green Leaf 2025 Award
The winners of the European Green Cities 2025 Awards were announced in Tallinn, Estonia, this year’s European Green Capital. Vilnius (Lithuania) will be the 2025 European Green Capital, and the title of European Green Leaf 2025 for smaller cities went to Viladecans (Spain) and Treviso (Italy). The jury crowned Vilnius as the 2025 European Green Capital Winner, and especially liked their down […]
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Commission proposes list of principles to boost cycling across Europe
The proposal for a European Declaration on Cycling, adopted by the European Commission, recognises cycling as a sustainable, accessible and inclusive, affordable and healthy means of transport, with strong added value for the EU economy. It lists principles to boost cycling that will guide future action in the EU. Clear commitments, such as safe and coherent cycling networks […]
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Up to €1.7bn of EIB finance for new solar power plants in Spain, Italy and Portugal
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has approved framework financing of up to €1.7 billion for Solaria to support the construction of some 120 photovoltaic power plants. Mostly located in Spain, as well as Italy and Portugal, they will have a total capacity of approximately 5.6 GW and will produce an estimated 9.29 TWh a year. […]
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