On Friday 19 December, the Member States’ ambassadors to the EU are expected to ratify the provisional agreement between the Council of the EU and the European Parliament on the revision of the ‘climate’ law, introducing an interim target of an 85% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 (compared with 1990) (see EUROPE 13770/1).
Ahead of this, the European Commission issued a statement on Wednesday 17 December, reiterating that it would retain its right of initiative under the EU Treaties, allowing it to decide whether or not to submit a new legislative proposal.
“The provisions of the Regulation which request the Commission to prepare proposals must thus be understood as being without prejudice” to this right of initiative.
In particular, the text includes a revision clause which requires the Commission, when producing an evaluation report on the regulation, to submit, “as the case may be”, legislative proposals to revise the regulation.
See the Commission’s statement: https://aeur.eu/f/k3a (Original version in French by Pauline Denys with Nithya Paquiry)