NEWSLETTER N° 189 – 7 OCTOBER 2024

Guess who’s in the hot seat now? The Commissions hearing were confirmed for the period between November 4 and 12 and Cyprus’ EU commissioner pick, Costas Kadis, is in hot water as a decade-old waste scandal haunts his run. A €46 million EU-funded waste project in Limassol turned into an illegal dumping disaster under his watch, raising questions about his suitability as Europe’s ocean commissioner. With critics on his tail, Brussels is bracing for a tough grilling. Meanwhile, Jessika Roswall and Stéphane Séjourné are expected to face some tough questions too! And to top it all off, the S&D wants to lock in a promise: Will these two be the champions of the Green Deal we’ve been waiting for? The group’s itching for an answer! Stay tuned!  

Commissioners-designate hearings: The European Parliament leaders are set to question the commissioner candidates between November 4 and 12. The committees have until 7 October to submit their written questions. The commissioners, who will have until 22 October to respond. 

Parliamentary question on public procurement report:  In answer to a parliamentary question about the European Court of Auditors Special Report 28/2023 on public procurement in the EU, the Executive Vice-President replied that the Commission welcomed the report and accepted all the recommendations it formulated. 

GHG emission savings of low-carbon fuels other than recycled carbon fuels: The European Commission has launched a public consultation about a Delegated Regulation, supplementing Directive (EU) 2024/1788 to specifying a methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings from low- carbon fuels. 

Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): On 25 September, the European Commission published a document containing 170 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.

Public Procurement for the Green Transition: On 26 June 2024, the OECD Public Governance Reviews published a report on Harnessing Public Procurement for the Green Transition – Good practices in OECD countries. 

At FEAD, we’re gearing up for an exciting end of the year with two key events: 

• On 31 October, we will be co-hosting a joint conference on ‘Higher energy and material security in EU countries’ in Prague. 
• On 5 December, we’re organising a conference on Circular Economy Priorities in Brussels.