Starting 1 January 2023, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the European Union inherited a number of major energy and climate-related dossiers (see EUROPE 13085/18).
According to its provisional timetable, it plans to hold two informal ministerial meetings, one for the Member States’ energy and transport ministers and the other for the environment ministers, in addition to the four formal meetings (two of the ‘Energy’ Council and two of the ‘Environment’ Council) held under each Presidency.
Energy
The first ‘Energy’ Council will be held on 28 March. Ministers are expected to discuss the reform of the EU electricity market, the legislative proposal for which is scheduled for the end of March (probably before the ministerial meeting).
While the provisional timetable mentions the possibility of reaching a political agreement between Member States (‘general approach’) by that date, it is likely that this will be more of an exchange of views in order to give Member States more time to amend the text proposed by the Commission.
According to the Swedish document, the ministers will also discuss the legislative package to establish a European market for low-carbon and renewable gases (including hydrogen).
They will then try to conclude a general approach on this dossier on 19 June, at the second ‘Energy’ Council under the Swedish Presidency, as well as on the reform of the electricity market, if they have not managed to do so before.
Like the previous (Czech) EU Council Presidency, Stockholm could decide to convene extraordinary meetings depending on developments in the EU’s energy situation. Prague had organised a record six such meetings due to the energy crisis caused by Russian military aggression in Ukraine.
The joint informal meeting with transport ministers is scheduled for 27-28 February.
Climate
Stockholm will hold a first ‘Environment’ Council on 16 March, with, on the agenda, a debate on the legislative proposal on carbon certification (see EUROPE 13074/9).
The second meeting will normally take place on 20 June and will deal with, among other things, the revision of the CO2 emission standards for heavy goods vehicles. The Commission has yet to unveil its proposal on this subject.
The informal meeting of environment ministers is scheduled for 18-19 April.
See the provisional calendar: https://aeur.eu/f/4tc (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)