At the beginning of November, the federal government approved the Renewable Heat Act (EWG), which is important for climate policy, in the Council of Ministers. This provides for the phasing out of gas heating in 2040 and of oil heating in 2035, starting next year. But it will not go into effect in January.
According to a report in the “Kleine Zeitung”, nothing will happen for the time being, as the necessary two-thirds majority is still missing. An entry into force before the middle of next year is therefore no longer realistic.
Removed from the agenda
Due to the lack of a two-thirds majority, the law has been removed from the agenda of this year’s economic committee next Wednesday, according to negotiators.
Chamber of Commerce brakes
According to the report, the delay is only partly due to the objections of SPÖ officials, which are needed for the two-thirds majority. In fact, the Chamber of Commerce, which is blocking the regulations, is also slowing down in the background. “Any comma that needs to be changed in the current negotiations is therefore blocked by the ÖVP, which ultimately slows everything down,” an insider said in the report.
The two energy spokespersons of the coalition parties, Lukas Hammer (Greens) and Tanja Graf (ÖVP), confirmed that there is still no constitutional majority. At the same time, in a statement to the APA, they stressed that negotiations with the SPÖ have not yet been concluded, “but all three factions are working to ensure that an agreement is reached as soon as possible – preferably in December.”
Source: Krone
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