European Union finance ministers agreed on Friday 13 September at the informal meeting of the Ecofin Council of the EU to fully integrate environmental issues into the topics to be discussed at their next meetings, without proposing, however, any concrete measures at this stage.
"I have heard a strong willingness to do more at European level [...]. We need to discuss climate change action regularly", Finnish Finance Minister Mika Lintilä said at a press conference. He also considered that the discussion on environmental issues that ministers had at a working lunch was a "good start" for collaboration between finance ministers.
Everyone seemed on board from the moment they arrived at this meeting. Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister, referred to the "key responsibility" of finance ministers in this area, whereas the Danish minister, Nicolai Wammen, mentioned the need to be "much more active on the climate agenda". Vilius Šapoka, the Lithuanian minister, considered that the financial system could not "ignore" the urgency and climate change.
Several financial options are possible to fight climate change, Mr Lintilä reiterated. Participants based their discussions on a note from the Finnish Presidency of the Council of the EU referring in particular to carbon pricing, budget planning and the allocation of European funds (see EUROPE 12324/5).
Valdis Dombrovskis, the European Commissioner for the Euro and Social Dialogue, recalled that he wanted the EU Council to adopt its negotiating position on the taxonomy on sustainable finance (see EUROPE 12320/5). This, while the European Parliament has already defined its position (see EUROPE 12224/1).
However, no concrete measures were discussed in depth. According to a European source, this was, in essence, more of a review clause, so that the issue could be brought back to the negotiating table, this time in a more concrete way, at future meetings of the Ecofin Council.
On the second day of this informal meeting of finance ministers on Saturday 14 September, they will focus more specifically on energy taxation. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)