The Council presidency and the European Parliament’s representatives reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal to set EU air quality standards to be attained with the aim of achieving a zero-pollution objective, thus contributing to a toxic-free environment in the EU by 2050. It also seeks to bring EU air quality standards in line with the World Health Organization […]
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Electricity from renewable sources up to 41% in 2022
In 2022, renewable energy sources made up 41.2% of gross electricity consumption in the EU, 3.4 percentage points (pp) more than in 2021 (37.8%) and well ahead of other electricity-generation sources such as nuclear (less than 22%), gas (less than 20%) or coal (less than 17%). In total, renewable energy sources increased by 5.7% from […]
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Maritime safety: deal on stricter measures to stop shipping pollution
Parliament and Council negotiators reached an informal deal to extend an existing ban on discharge of oil spills by ships to include sewage and garbage. On Thursday, EU co-legislators preliminarily agreed to update EU rules on preventing pollution from ships in European seas and ensuring perpetrators face fines. Banning more types of spills from ships […]
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Commissioner Elisa Ferreira travels to Castilla y León and Asturias to visit the main beneficiary regions of the Just Transition Fund in Spain
From 14-16 February 2024, Cohesion and Reforms Commissioner Elisa Ferreira will visit the regions of Castilla y León and Asturias to see how cohesion policy is implemented in these regions, and in particular how the Just Transition Fund (FTJ) supports the transition to a climate neutral economy. Commissioner Ferreira met with the President of Castilla […]
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EEA says European population’s exposure to bisphenol A use exceeds safe health thresholds
According to the EEA report, based on data collected in an EU human biomonitoring study, up to 100% of the participating individuals in 11 EU countries were likely to be exposed to the chemical, at levels above safe health thresholds. This raises important health concerns for the EU population as a whole. Taking into account […]
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The European Parliament wants to put an end to impunity for reckless drivers
Serious traffic offences, such as excessive speeding or drink driving, should lead to EU-wide driving disqualifications. Currently, if a driver loses their licence following a traffic offence in a different EU country to the one which issued their licence, in most cases the sanction will only be applicable in the country where the offence was […]
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European Commission welcomes preservation of competition on Amsterdam-US routes
The European Commission welcomes the positive developments at Amsterdam airport enabling new entrant JetBlue Airways Corporation (‘JetBlue’) to continue operating at the airport over the IATA Summer 2024 Season. The Commission has actively and closely monitored the evolution of the market conditions at Amsterdam airport. Specifically, this concerned the degree of congestion of the airport and the […]
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Urban wastewater: Council and Parliament reach a deal on new rules for more efficient treatment and monitoring
The Council and the European Parliament’s negotiators reached a provisional political agreement on a proposal to review the urban wastewater treatment directive. The revised directive is one of the key deliverables under the EU’s zero-pollution action plan. While the current directive has proven highly effective in reducing water pollution and improving the treatment of wastewater […]
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Council approves elimination of fluorinated gases from fridges and air conditioners by 2050
The Council has adopted two regulations to phase down fluorinated gases (F-gases) and other substances that cause global warming and deplete the ozone layer. While existing EU legislation has already limited the use of these gases and substances significantly, the new rules will further reduce their emissions into the atmosphere and contribute to limiting global […]
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