On the 14th and 16th of March various important meetings took place for tackling key topics such as the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation, the Social Climate Fund and the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II).
The current Russian aggression in Ukraine is significantly affecting EU Energy policies. Hydrogen holds potential for delinking EU gas demands from Russia, although its technology is still at the early stage. There is a need for continuous dialogue between EU policymakers and the energy industry, and to stay in line with the Paris Agreement.
Energy efficiency means being independent from Russia’s oil and gas, focusing on renewable energy sources and innovation at EU level. Renewable energy usage should be reflected in the EU’s ambition by more than 40% by 2030, with a particular focus on hydrogen. Energy efficiency is strongly related to energy waste, in the sense that at EU level there should be a new behavior towards minimizing consumption and waste in general.
Energy taxation should take into account the mix of energy, energy poverty and monitoring, and the difference between the Member State practices. The scheme for energy taxation should be implemented as soon as possible, taking into account the urgency of the climate crisis. The energy taxation should be used as a catalyst for speeding up the use of renewables within each Member State
On March 17th, the Environmental Council met to discuss the extension of the ETS to road transport and buildings and the Social Climate Fund. A majority of countries support extension of the ETS though some still have concerns regarding social impacts. Support for the Social Climate Fund was more limited. The Council shared a progress report on other files and it was announced that a general approach on CBAM was reached.