The European Commission adopted on 12 May amendments to its state aid rules to provide public access to environmental justice in relation to EU state aid decisions. To this end, the Commission has revised the rules allowing non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to request the Commission to review certain state aid decisions to determine whether they infringe […]
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European Parliament fast-tracks vote on flexibility measures for carmakers
On Tuesday, MEPs agreed to use the urgent procedure for a targeted change to CO2 emission performance standards for new cars and vans. The current rules set annual targets, covering five-year periods, for reducing average CO2 emissions from new cars and vans across the EU fleet. From 2025, an annual CO2 emission reduction target of 15% compared […]
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EU to fully end its dependency on Russian energy
The EU will end its dependency on Russian energy by stopping the import of Russian gas and oil and phasing out Russian nuclear energy, while ensuring stable energy supplies and prices across the Union. The REPowerEU Roadmap, presented yestraday by the European Commission, paves the way to ensure the EU’s full energy independence from Russia. Despite […]
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Commission approves €612 million in Portuguese aid for energy-intensive companies
The European Commission has approved, under EU State aid rules, a €612 million Portuguese scheme to lower electricity levy rates for energy-intensive companies. The scheme intends to reduce the risk that these energy-intensive companies relocate their activities to countries outside the EU with less ambitious climate policies. An energy-intensive company is a business that consumes […]
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EU takes new step to protect High Seas biodiversity
Last April 24, the Commission is presenting a proposal to integrate the landmark international Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction’ (BBNJ) Agreement, which aims to protect the ocean, tackle environmental degradation, fight climate change, and curb biodiversity loss, into EU law. This will also help the Member States with the implementation in their national systems. Signed by the President […]
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MEPs advocate storage refill flexibility to bring down prices
The draft law adopted on Thursday seeks to address speculation on the gas market and bring down prices, by introducing greater flexibility in rules on gas storage refilling. The Industry, Research and Energy Committee has backed the Commission proposal to extend the EU’s 2022 gas storage scheme until 31 December 2027; it was otherwise set to end […]
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Updated rules for safer roads, less air pollution and digital vehicle documents
For better road safety and air quality across the EU, the Commission is proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the EU’s road safety and vehicle registration rules. The new rules will take into account the growing presence of electric vehicles and adapt to emerging technologies. They will introduce enhanced inspections, including periodic technical inspections for electric vehicles and advanced driver-assistance […]
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How is the EU acting on climate change?
Today, 22 April, is International Mother Earth Day. We would therefore like to recall the work the European Union is doing to combat climate change and the commitment the Member States have agreed on for 2050. EU countries have made a legal commitment to combat climate change by moving to a climate-neutral economy with zero […]
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New plan to boost the EU’s circular economy
On 16 April, the European Commission adopted the 2025-2030 working plan for the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Energy Labelling Regulation. The plan provides a list of products that should be prioritised to introduce ecodesign requirements and energy labelling over the next five years. This will foster sustainable, repairable, circular and energy efficient products across Europe, in line […]
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