On Friday 10 December, the EU27 ambassadors to the European Union validated the interim political agreement between the European Parliament and the Council of the EU on the EU’s 2030 Environmental Action Programme (8th EAP).
“Today’s agreement results in a strong 8th EAP - an ambitious policy framework that sets the general approach of the EU’s environmental policy to 2030 and allows us to monitor our achievements on our path toward climate neutrality and a zero pollution environment. We also made sure that we can take stock of the progress made after the end of the European Green Deal in 2025 and that, where appropriate, further actions will be taken to reach our 2030 objectives”, commented Slovenian Environment Minister Andrej Vizjak in a statement.
The 8th EAP specifies that the action programme builds on the European Green Deal. The European Commission will develop a summary scoreboard and a set of indicators to measure economic, social and environmental progress ‘beyond GDP’, while avoiding duplication and unnecessary administrative burdens.
The European Commission will conduct a midterm review in 2024 of progress towards the six priority thematic objectives. Thereafter, it will present, if appropriate, a legislative proposal to add an annex to the 8th EAP containing a list and timetable of actions for the period after 2025.
For the phasing out of environmentally harmful subsidies other than fossil fuel subsidies, the European Commission will define a methodology by 2023, in consultation with Member States. Using this methodology, they will be required to identify and report on these grants. The European Commission will report on the progress made in phasing them out.
See the text of the agreement: https://bit.ly/31ShAPW (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)