The European Green Deal and the post-Covid-19 ‘green’ recovery will be the backdrop to the videoconference meeting of EU environment ministers on Thursday 18 March, with the greening of the ‘European Semester’, the climate change adaptation strategy and the planned ‘sustainable batteries’ regulation on the agenda. The whole meeting will be accessible to the public.
Greening the ‘European Semester’. The ministers will debate the greening of the ‘European Semester’ budget process. This debate will focus on the role of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which was designed to support the environmental and digital transitions.
The debate will be structured around the following questions:
- Will implementation of the recovery and resilience plans be enough to guarantee a green transition? How could they be improved, especially in light of the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework?
- What should be the guiding principles of this transition that should also be considered priorities for the ‘European Semester’?
- What further efforts should be made to facilitate structural greening of the ‘European Semester’ in the near future?
Adapting to climate change. The ministers will discuss the new strategy for adapting to climate change, the aim of which is to make the EU resilient to the inevitable effects of climate change by 2050 (see EUROPE 12665/4). The objective of the Portuguese Presidency of the Council of the EU is for the ministers to adopt conclusions at their meeting on 21 June (see EUROPE 12669/31).
Sustainable batteries. Ministers will have a political debate on the proposed regulation on batteries and battery waste (amending Directive 2006/66/EC) which has been on the table since December (see EUROPE 12620/13).
The objective of the Portuguese Presidency is to provide initial political guidance on the legislation from the EU’s new Circular Economy Action Plan. Ministers will be invited to discuss: 1) the legal basis for this regulation, based solely on article 114 TFEU (internal market); 2) due diligence and the requirements for safety and sustainability (see EUROPE 12677/6).
Under ‘any other business’, the Portuguese Presidency will inform the ministers about the current state of play with regard to the following matters: - the general Environmental Action Programme 2030 (the 8th EAP), an issue where negotiations with the Parliament are ready to begin (the mandate will be given to the Portuguese Presidency on 17 March (see EUROPE 12678/12); - the Chemicals for Sustainability strategy, the Council of the EU conclusions for which have just been adopted (see EUROPE 12678/13); - the climate law, on which inter-institutional negotiations are currently stalled (see EUROPE 12678/14).
In addition, the European Commission will inform the ministers about the planned EU Forest Strategy and the EU Trade Policy Review. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang with Damien Genicot)