NEWSLETTER N° 183 – 05 AUGUST 2024

Sunglasses? Check! FEAD magazine? Check! FEAD Newsletter? Check! Looks like you’re all set! Indeed, today’s edition of FEAD’s Newsletter will be the last one for the next few weeks; however, it is simply a goodbye, not an adieu as we will be back on Monday 02 September. In the meantime, we wish you all wonderful holidays and look forward to reconnecting soon. Enjoy the summer!

Pollution caused by nitrates: On 25 July, the European Commission announced that it has referred Belgium to the EU’s Court of Justice as it considers that the Flemish region has not taken sufficient measures against nitrate pollution, thus breaching the nitrates directive. 

Carbon offsetting – Joint Statement: On 02 July, more than 80 civil society organisations (including ClientEarth, EEB, ecos, FinanceWatch, Greenpeace and more) published a joint statement rejecting carbon offsetting. 

Carbon market – delegated act: The European Commission adopted a new delegated act, dated 30 July, supplementing Directive 2003/87/EC as regards the requirements for considering that greenhouse gases have become permanently chemically bound in a product. 

Renewable Hydrogen – Spain state aid: On 26 July, the European Commission announced that it approved a 1.2 billion euros Spanish aid scheme for renewable hydrogen. 

Renewable Hydrogen – The Netherlands state aid: On 29 July, the European Commission announced that it  authorised two Dutch aid schemes of more than 1 Billion euros for renewable hydrogen: one (998 million euros) to increase the electrolysis capacity of the Netherlands and the other (80 million euros) for an innovative renewable hydrogen production project. 

List of Renewable Energy Cross-border Projects (CB RES list: On 24 July, the European Commission announced that three more projects have obtained the status required to be part of the List of Renewable Energy Cross-border Projects (CB RES list) under the Connecting Europe Facility for Energy (CEF Energy).
 National Emission reduction Commitments Directive (NEC Directive): On 30 July, the European Commission published a report on the on the progress made on the implementation of the NEC Directive which lays down the obligations to reduce national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants such as sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulates. 

Revision of the Gothenburg Protocol: On 29 July, in a recommendation for a Council decision, the European Commission asked Member States for their approval in order to represent them during the revision of the Gothenburg protocol on air pollution that will begin in December 2024. 

Green 10’s reaction to Ursula von der Leyen speech: The ‘Green 10’, a group of ten environmental NGOs based in Brussels, sent a letter to Ursula von der Leyen on 23 July. 

EU Challenges and priorities survey: On 26 July, the results of the Eurobarometer poll were published. The poll asked respondents what topics should be the EU’s priorities as well as the EU’s main challenges. For 33% of the respondents, climate change and the environment should be among the EU’s priorities. 

European Commission – French Commissioner: On 26 July, in a letter sent to the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, Emmanuel Macron, France’s President appointed Thierry Breton as the candidate for the 2024-2029 term of office. Thierry Breton was the Internal Market Commissioner during the previous Commission mandate. 

European Commission – Austrian Commissioner: Austria has nominated Finance Minister Magnus Brunner as its candidate to serve as European commissioner in the next term.

College of Commissioners: Politico reports that according to the draft agenda they have consulted, the College of Commissioners will hold its first meeting on 11 September.