The EU Member States’ Environment and Climate Ministers, meeting in Luxembourg on Tuesday 20 June, will attempt to establish the EU Council’s position (‘general approach’) on the proposed ‘Nature Restoration’ Regulation, and will hold two policy debates to guide future work on the revision of air quality standards and on future CO2 emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles.
‘Nature Restoration’ Regulation. The Ministers will be asked to vote on the revised compromise proposal that was finally distributed to delegations on Thursday by the Swedish Presidency to make final adjustments to a draft political agreement (‘general approach’) of the EU Council (see EUROPE 13198/10 and other news in this bulletin).
The Permanent Representatives to the EU (Coreper) examined this text on Friday. At the end of the meeting, the text was deemed stable, but the balance fragile. “We will deal with the issue, then it will go to the EU Council”, said a senior EU official ahead of Coreper, denying that the matter could be taken off the agenda for the ministerial meeting.
And added: “It will be a matter of examining the general provisions and assessing the consequences that this Regulation would have at national level, depending on starting points, ambitions and needs”. In fact, the revised compromise will be presented to the Ministers as it stands, even if it means making a few more changes on the day of the EU Council, as a source close to the dossier pointed out late this afternoon.
Ambient air quality. The Ministers will hold a political debate on the revision of EU Directives on ambient air quality, proposed for October 2022, to bring EU legislation more into line with WHO standards (see EUROPE 13051/1, 13080/9). They will be asked to state: - if they consider that the air quality standards and their entry into force from 2030 constitute an adequate level of ambition; - which factors they consider most important in achieving these standards and the long-term goal of zero pollution (see EUROPE 13198/11).
CO2 emissions from heavy goods vehicles. The Ministers will hold a policy debate on the proposal for a Regulation on CO2 emission standards for new heavy commercial vehicles. The proposal, submitted by the Commission last February, has three objectives.
The first is to reduce CO2 emissions from heavy vehicles in a cost-effective way, in line with the EU’s climate objectives. The aim is also to provide advantages to European transport operators and users, most of whom are SMEs, through the wider deployment of more energy-efficient vehicles. The third objective targeted by this text is to strengthen the EU’s leadership in industrial technology and innovation by channelling investment into ‘zero-emission’ technologies.
Miscellaneous items. The Ministers will be briefed by the Swedish Presidency on international meetings, including the triple conference of Basel, Stockholm and Rotterdam (May 2023), the second round of negotiations on a binding International Treaty on plastic pollution (29 May-2 June), and the forthcoming conference of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) (3-7 July).
The Commission will keep them informed about the implementation of the European Hydrogen Bank.
Italy will be reporting on Expo 2030 and the Czech Republic on the VAT rates applied to recycled products.
This session will also be an opportunity for the future Spanish Presidency of the EU Council to present its climate and environment priorities for the next six months. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang and Nithya Paquiry)