On the morning of Wednesday 29 June, the EU Environment Ministers reached a common position (general approach) on the revision of the Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry Regulation (LULUCF).
This text is part of the ‘Fit For 55’ package agreed between EU countries (see other news).
The compromise text confirms the setting of an overall EU target of 310 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent net removals in LULUCF by 2030 (see EUROPE 12981/3).
This represents a 15% increase in absorptions compared to current levels.
The current rules, whereby emissions do not exceed removals, will continue to apply until 2025. For the period 2026 to 2030, a binding national target for 2030 will be set for each Member State.
The EU Council has enhanced flexibilities to assist Member States that have difficulties in meeting their targets due to uncontrollable phenomena affecting the LULUCF sector. Additional flexibility related to the effects of climate change and organic soils (objective and measurable criteria and indicators) is foreseen.
Finally, the EU Council considers it premature to include non-CO2 emissions from agriculture in the regulation, and referred the issue to a future review of the text, following the presentation of a report by the European Commission. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)