Economy Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni said that from now on, the European Commission will take into account, in the analysis of national budgets, the budgetary efforts of Member States in favour of the transition to an environmentally sustainable economy.
"The important thing to underline is that, for the first time, we will have a 'green' variable in the Commission's process of analysing national budgets", said Mr Gentiloni on Monday 20 January, on his arrival at the Eurogroup. He thus indicated that the socio-economic policy recommendations that the European institution will present in the spring will take into account "climate transition, among other factors". In his view, this is one way of taking seriously the objective of climate neutrality by 2050 that the EU Member States, apart from Poland, have set themselves.
On Monday at the Eurogroup, the European Finance Ministers discussed the financial modalities of the European ‘Green Deal’ and, in particular, the allocation of the 7.5 billion euros foreseen for the Just Transition Fund, which divides the beneficiary and contributor countries (see EUROPE 12404/12).
"Adaptation to climate change should not require a volume of investment that only the richest countries can meet", said Spanish Minister Nadine Calviño, for whom the European Green Deal cannot undermine the proper functioning of the internal market.
These discussions are continuing this Tuesday at the Ecofin Council. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)