Achieving the recently agreed EU target of at least 42.5% renewable energy by 2030, with an ambition to reach 45% renewables, will require a massive increase in wind installed capacity with an expected growth from 204 GW in 2022 to more than 500 GW in 2030. While the wind power sector is a historical EU success […]
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European Council votes in favour of lower limits for occupational exposure to asbestos
The Council formally adopted new rules on protecting workers from the risks related to exposure to asbestos at work. This directive updates the existing rules in line with the latest scientific and technological developments. The updated rules significantly lower the current asbestos limits and provide for more accurate ways to measure exposure levels to asbestos […]
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Council agrees on EU electricity market reform
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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