While the ‘Fit for 55’ climate package is the biggest dossier of this semester, the ecological transition is not limited to the fight against climate change, stressed the French Minister for Ecological Transition, Barbara Pompili, when presenting, on Wednesday 26 January, the French Presidency of the EU ‘Environment’ Council’s priorities to MEPs from the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment (see EUROPE 12877/7).
The preservation of biodiversity in the EU and in view of the COP15 in Kunming, China, the generalisation of the circular economy, with the “emblematic proposal” for an EU regulation on batteries and their waste, sustainable products and chemical depollution for a healthy environment were cited by Ms Pompili as the main environmental priorities of a six-month period that she wants “useful” (see EUROPE 12860/4).
Preserve and restore biodiversity. Ms Pompili said that, under the French Presidency, conclusions will be adopted setting out the EU’s position for COP15. Responding to Silvia Modig (The Left, Finland), who stressed the importance of a global solution with measurable targets and a timetable, she said she hoped for “a robust agreement” on the post-2020 framework, but expressed concern that China would postpone the conference, “because the more we postpone, the more we postpone the commitments of the States”.
Internally, Ms Pompili told Mohammed Chahim (S&D, Netherlands), who was arguing for a clear binding framework under the EU biodiversity strategy, that she was “eagerly” waiting for the Commission’s proposal that will set binding EU targets for restoration, hoping that it will be presented by the end of March.
The French Minister also welcomed the progress made at the informal ministerial meeting in Amiens on the proposed regulation of November 2021, which aims to minimise the risk of deforestation and forest degradation associated with products placed on the EU market (see EUROPE 12874/2).
Responding to Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, France) on the level of ambition for this future regulation, she confirmed that ministers were in favour of broadening the scope to include products other than the six commodities selected (beef, soya, timber, palm oil, cocoa and coffee and some derivatives), to cover rubber trees, for example, and even other vital ecosystems such as peatlands.
However, she did not specify whether or not she was in favour of including financial actors in the scope, as the Parliament wants.
Circular economy. Ms Pompili expressed her determination to make rapid progress on the proposed regulation on sustainable batteries, stressing that this is a major issue for the EU’s strategic autonomy and for the electrification of cars. “We need to develop a battery industry in Europe, which will also create jobs”, she said - an important asset in a sector where the end of combustion engines will destroy jobs, she stressed.
“It’s time to get it right”, according to Ms Pompili. She said she hopes that the Member States will reach an agreement at the ‘Environment’ Council on 17 March “to be able to support production by 2024”.
Reduction of pesticides. The Minister indicated in particular that after the informal discussion in Amiens on halving the use of chemical pesticides by 2030, “which poison citizens and biodiversity”, the subject would be discussed at the ‘Environment’ Council on 28 June.
Asked by her compatriot Michèle Rivasi (Greens/EFA) whether she supported “the request for an independent assessment” of the health risks of glyphosate, whose renewal is currently being decided (see EUROPE 12841/13), the Minister and President-in-Office of the ‘Environment’ Council simply replied that “assessments must be done on a scientific basis”. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)