30/09/2019 (Agence Europe) – The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), in a press release published on 30 September and following the adoption of an opinion by Baiba Miltoviča (Various Interests, Latvia) and Dumitru Fornea (Workers, Romania), supported the European Commission's proposal to make EU energy and climate decision-making more democratic, in particular by moving from unanimity to qualified majority voting in the EU Council on energy taxation. For the EESC, this shift is key to amending the 2003 Energy Taxation Framework Directive and, consequently, to completing the energy transition and achieving the 2030 energy and climate targets. In its proposal dated 9 April 2019, the Commission proposed to use the existing 'passerelle’ clauses, which has the advantage of not having to amend the current Treaties (see EUROPE 12232/8). However, the activation of a 'passerelle’ clause itself requires unanimity in the EU Council. (DG)