The Environment and Economy committees vote against the Brussels norm, which will be discussed in the July plenary
The proposal to consider nuclear energy and gas as sustainable in the European Union (EU) received a major setback in the European Parliament on Tuesday. The Community Executive’s initiative got a ‘no’ from the Committee on the Environment and the Committee on Economic Affairs, with 76 votes against, 62 in favor and four abstentions, which is a first step towards overthrowing it. It will be the plenary session of the European Parliament, to be held between July 4 and 7, which will have the final say on the standard.
Already from the first draft, the delegated act on taxonomy – the name given to the Brussels proposal – was rejected by environmental groups and countries such as Spain, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg, because gas and nuclear energy were included in the investments of the EU vegetables . The European Commission assumed the reform would be controversial and cause “division”. As he acknowledged, these two types of energy are “not neutral or renewable.”
However, he defended that they are “necessary” for the energy transition and to achieve emission neutrality by 2050. MEPs, for their part, recognized that gas and nuclear energy are necessary to ensure the stability of Europe’s supply during the ecological transition, but reiterated that they do not meet the environmental criteria to be considered green.
The NGOs Friends of the Earth, Ecologists in Action, Greenpeace, SEO/Birdlife and WWF yesterday celebrated the European Parliament’s decision and applauded MEPs for “choosing the right path”. The five organizations described the move as “critical” because of the “serious” environmental impact of gas and nuclear energy. They also asked the European Parliament to decide in a similar vein at its July plenary, rejecting a proposal that would constitute “a huge and costly climate error”.
Now the European Parliament and Council have until July 10 to decide whether to veto the Brussels proposal. If you get a majority of 353 against in the European Parliament or the ‘no’ of 20 countries in the Council, the rule returns to the Commission for amendment or permanent withdrawal. MEPs also requested that the amendments tabled be submitted to a public consultation and analysis of economic, environmental and social impact.
The European Commission “impatiently” awaits the final decision of the two institutions and “takes note” of the negative opinion of the two MEPs. This was emphasized by Environment spokesman Dan Ferrie, who assured that “neutrality remains our goal” and that Brussels “will use all means to move away from carbon-intensive energies”.
The European taxonomy regulation does not define which energies are left out of the mix of each Member State, but rather provides transparency on the origin of energies and seeks to direct private investment towards more sustainable investments. Under that assumption, the European Commission noted in February that “in light of scientific advice and current technological progress (…), the envisaged activities in the field of gas and nuclear energy are in line with the climate and environmental objectives of the EU.”
In the same vein, Ferrie spoke out on Tuesday, assuring that “we are aware of the sensitivities, but the delegated act is part of a series of measures to reduce our emissions.”
According to data from the International Energy Agency, Europe currently generates 25% of its electricity from nuclear energy. However, the division between the Twenty-seven is patent. On the one hand, the countries with a greater dependence on nuclear energy and gas, led by France, and who defend this measure. Member States strong in renewables, on the other hand, reject it. In the vote in the College of Commissioners, the proposal was even voted against by the Spanish Josep Borrell, the Austrian Johannes Hahn and the Portuguese Elisa Ferreira.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
