On Wednesday 24 January, the members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment (ENVI) questioned Alain Maron, Minister for the Brussels-Capital Region with responsibility for the climate transition and the environment, about the Belgian Presidency of the EU Council’s desire to make progress on urgent environmental legislation and the longer-term objectives of the European Green Deal.
After outlining the Belgian Presidency’s legislative priorities (see EUROPE 13320/8) and referring to the discussions initiated by the European environment and climate ministers at their informal meeting in Brussels the previous week (see EUROPE 13329/3, 13329/1), the Brussels minister tried to reassure MEPs about their numerous requests and concerns regarding the finalisation of ongoing legislative dossiers.
Several MEPs, such as Javi López (S&D, Spanish), called on the Presidency to use its role as mediator to reconcile Parliament’s position with that of the Council on the revision of the ambient air quality directives (see EUROPE 13332/2).
Others, such as Catherine Chabaud (Renew Europe, French), called for further work on climate issues at sea, in particular by ratifying the treaty on biodiversity in the high seas (BBNJ) (see EUROPE 13270/35). “There is real urgency, we can’t wait for the next term”, she insisted.
From a broader perspective, Peter Liese (EPP, German) asked the minister about the concept of a “regulatory pause” in environmental standards (see EUROPE 13324/7) supported by the Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander de Croo.
On this subject, Mr Maron assured that there was no question of “hitting the pause button” on the objectives of the European Green Deal.
“Let’s be quite clear. Europe has set itself targets for 2030. Not only must there be no pause, but these objectives already need to be amplified on the ground, because we are not there yet”, he declared, recalling that the EU is soon expected to adopt a target of a 90% reduction in emissions by 2040 (see EUROPE 13328/2).
Mr Maron also felt that it was essential to get as many citizens as possible to support European policies, thus partly answering MEPs’ questions on the demands of farmers who feel they have been short-changed by the objectives of the European Green Deal.
“Like many economic and social sectors, agriculture must also be decarbonised. Can we make progress in this sector, as in others, without the players involved? No, we are not going to decarbonise agriculture without farmers”, he asserted.
Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Dutch), for his part, stressed the importance of the preparatory work for the next two UN climate conferences (COP). “There is a lot of pressure on the Belgian Presidency to ensure that the COPs in Azerbaijan and Brazil are a success”, he said.
Mr Maron replied that the work ahead of COP29 would focus on the follow-up to the global stocktake drawn up at COP28 in Dubai (see EUROPE 13313/16), the energy package and the preparation of the decision on the new collective quantified goal on financing the fight against climate change.
Frédérique Ries (Renew Europe, Belgian) specifically asked that the Belgian Presidency pay attention to the point concerning PFAS chemical pollutants in the packaging and packaging waste regulation currently being negotiated (see EUROPE 13325/24).
Aware of the topicality of this issue in his own country, the minister assured that the Belgian Presidency would be “careful to seize every opportunity to address the issue of PFAS wherever it can be incorporated into European legislation”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)