| Hello from Brussels and welcome to Nadia Calvino, new head of the European Investment Bank. As the new year and Presidency come in, more and more files are being agreed on. Last week, the Council and the Parliament reached an agreement on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and on the Classification Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures and the Council adopted its position on the Net Zero Industry Act. More below. |
Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR): On 5 December, the Council and the Parliament reached an agreement on ESPR.
Critical Raw Materials (CRM): On 7 December, the Energy Committee of the European Parliament (ITRE) adopted the agreement reached with the Council the 13 November.
Soil Monitoring Law (SML): The amendments to Rapporteur Martin Hojsik’s (Renew, Slovakia) draft report, were tabled by the different political groups (read here, here, here and here).
Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA): The Council has adopted its position (also known as ‘general approach’) on the NZIA.
Classification, Labelling and Packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP): Parliament and Council reached an agreement on CLP on 5 December.
Urban waste water treatment: The European Court of Justice has convicted Hungary for failure to fulfil obligations on the treatment of urban waste water.
ETS Directive: In a text submitted for public consultation, the European Commission proposes to adapt the free allocation rules for the implementation of the ETS.
REACH revision: In a letter replying to the NGO Chem Trust, Aurel Ciobanu-Dordea (DG Environment) and Kristin Schreiber (DG Industry), explained that the Commission ‘has come to the conclusion that such an initiative should not be presented at the end of its mandate.’
Chemical Substances: The European Commission is proposing a ‘one substance, one assessment’ to simplify the assessment process of chemicals used in products.
Maritime safety: The Council has adopted a set of positions on 4 Commission proposals in the ‘maritime safety’ legislative package.
Ship Recycling: On 6 December, the Commission adopted the decision on the updated list of approved recycling facilities.
Horizon Europe: The United Kingdom has been reintroduced in Horizon Europe. The Specialised Committee on Participation in Union Programmes adopted on 4 December the agreement reached in September.
COP28: The summary published by the Emirati Presidency of the summit, on 1 and 2 December, indicates a desire to reduce use of fossil fuels.
Environmental crime directive revision: COREPER II met on 6 December and approved the agreement concluded last month in Trilogue.
Green Freight Package: The Council adopted its position on new rules for the accounting of greenhouse gas emissions of transport services.
Environment Council: The Ministers will meet in Brussels on 18 December for their last meeting of 2023.
Presidency of the Council: Belgium has published the work programme for its upcoming Presidency.
Plastic Recycling: In a manifesto published on 6 December, Plastics Recyclers Europe stated that the European Commission’s 2024-2029 mandate will be ‘decisive to implement a robust legislative framework that recognizes the plastics recycling industry as a strategic pillar of the transition to a circular and decarbonised EU’.
European Parliament: The reform project of the parliamentary committees is unlikely to take place, according to several sources who confided to Contexte.
European Investment Bank: Nadia Calviño is the next head of the European Investment Bank.
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