The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU has a new mandate to tackle the inter-institutional negotiations on the EU’s comprehensive Environmental Action Programme 2030 (8th EAP) on Thursday 14 October.
The EU27 ambassadors to the EU (Coreper), meeting on Friday 8 October, supported the Presidency’s suggestions. “There is very strong support for this mandate”, a diplomatic source told EUROPE on the same day.
Member States reiterated that they were not in favour of the European Parliament’s amendments which go beyond the European Commission’s proposal and have no legal basis in the 8th EAP (see EUROPE 12786/10).
The changes to the mandate concern references to the taxonomy of sustainable investments and the elimination of fossil fuels - the only items discussed on Friday.
Taxonomy. Member States are reluctant to include references to the EU ‘Taxonomy’ Regulation (amendments 51-53-58) in the operational part of the text, but could accept this in a recital.
Elimination of fossil fuel subsidies. While Parliament calls for the elimination of direct and indirect subsidies to fossil fuels by 2025, the EU Council does not want such a precise mention, as the Commission proposal only provides for the elimination of environmentally harmful subsidies.
The second trilogue on 14 October is scheduled from 18:00 to 21:00. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)