COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,update

 

Library blog Friday, 31 May 2024

● General Secretariat of the Council   New books added to the Council Library's collection - May 2024   Discover our selection of books recently added to the Council Library collection. To get a fuller view, please consult the list in Eureka, the online catalogue of the Council libraries.

Meetings Thursday, 30 May 2024

● Council of the EU   30/05/2024 21:00 | Meetings | Main results - Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy), 30 May 2024   EU energy ministers approved conclusions on advancing sustainable electricity grids. They also discussed the future of RePowerEU and the way forward of the European Green Deal.

Press material Thursday, 30 May 2024

● Council of the EU   30/05/2024 16:29 | Press release | Energy Charter Treaty: Council gives final green light to EU’s withdrawal   With the decisions adopted today, the European Union and Euratom will leave the Energy Charter Treaty, while member states will be allowed to support its modernisation during the next Energy Charter Conference. The decisions are linked as they form the two pillars of a political compromise known as the Belgian roadmap on the Energy Charter Treaty. Today’s formal adoption by the Council gives the final green light for the EU and Euratom to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty after the European Parliament approved it during its last plenary session in April 2024. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) is a multilateral agreement that entered into force in 1998 and contains provisions on investment protection and trade in the energy sector. As this treaty is no longer in line with the Paris agreement and the EU ambitions regarding the energy transition, a process of modernisation has been initiated in 2018. Member states who wish to remain contracting parties after the EU’s and Euratom’s withdrawal will be able to vote during the upcoming Energy Charter Conference – expected to take place by end-2024 – by approving or not opposing the adoption of a modernised agreement. This way, by breaking the stalemate within the EU, the Belgian roadmap also unlocked the process of modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty for its non-EU contracting parties. Today’s adoption represents the final milestone in the Belgian roadmap we crafted for the Energy Charter Treaty. Building on the groundwork laid by our Swedish predecessors, the Belgian presidency has worked tirelessly to break this complex deadlock and found a balance acceptable and useful to all. Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgian Minister for Energy Next steps The decisions on the withdrawal of the EU and Euratom, as well as the decisions on the modernisation of the Energy Charter Treaty, enter into force today. The withdrawal will take effect one year after the receipt of the notification by the depositary of the treaty. The position to be taken by remaining member states on modernisation will apply during the next Energy Charter Conference. Background  On 7 July 2023, the Commission submitted a proposal for a Council Decision on the withdrawal of the Union from the Energy Charter Treaty, together with a similar proposal for Euratom, as it considered it to no longer be compatible with the EU's climate goals under the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement, predominantly due to concerns over continued fossil fuel investments. On 1 March 2024, the Commission proposed two draft Council decisions on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union and Euratom respectively in the relevant meeting of the Energy Charter Conference, and for the remaining member states to approve or not to oppose the modernised Energy Charter Treaty. The set of four decisions are formally adopted today as the two pillars of a compromise found within the Council. Council decision on the approval of the withdrawal of the European Atomic Energy Community from the Energy Charter Treaty Council decision on the approval of the withdrawal of the European Union from the Energy Charter Treaty Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of Euratom in the Energy Charter Conference Council decision on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union in the Energy Charter Conference

Meetings Thursday, 30 May 2024

● Council of the EU   30/05/2024 15:31 | Meetings | Main results - Foreign Affairs Council (Trade), 30 May 2024   The Foreign Affairs Council, in its Trade configuration, discussed trade and competitiveness and the future of EU trade policy, the state of play of trade and investment relations between the EU and Africa, and the follow up to the 13th World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference (MC13).

Press material Thursday, 30 May 2024

● Council of the EU   30/05/2024 13:09 | Press release | Council signs off on measures to make the EU mercury-free   Today, the Council adopted a regulation to completely ban the use of dental amalgams and to prohibit manufacturing, import and export of other mercury-added products. The updated rules aim to address the remaining use of mercury in the European Union in line with the EU´s zero pollution ambition. Current rules already ban the use of dental amalgam for treating teeth in children under 15 years old, and pregnant or breastfeeding women. The new rules will extend the prohibition to include everybody in the EU as of 1 January 2025. Exceptions will apply when the use of dental amalgam is deemed strictly necessary by the dental practitioner to address specific medical needs of the patient. Exporting dental amalgam will be prohibited from 1 January 2025; the ban on manufacturing and import in the EU will apply from 1 July 2026. Six additional mercury-containing lamps will also be made subject to a manufacturing, import and export ban as from 31 December 2025 and 31 December 2026. Next steps The regulation will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU. It will enter into force on the twentieth day following publication and become directly applicable in all member states. According to the updated rules, the Commission will review the exemptions on the use of dental amalgam by 31 December 2029, taking into account the availability of mercury-free alternatives. By the same date, the Commission will also review measures taken by member states on mercury emissions from crematoria and the impact of the Commission’s guidance on relevant abatement technologies.    Background  The EU mercury regulation adopted in 2017 is one of the key EU instruments transposing the Minamata Convention, an international treaty signed in 2013 to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury. The 2017 regulation covers the full-life cycle of mercury, from primary mining to waste disposal, contributing to the ultimate EU objective of limiting and phasing out the use, manufacturing and export of mercury and mercury-added products over time, as spelled out in the EU strategy on mercury. The European Parliament and Council adopted their negotiating positions on 17 and 30 January 2024, respectively. The two co-legislators reached a provisional agreement on 21 February 2024, after only one round of negotiations. Amending regulation on mercury as regards dental amalgam and other mercury-added products subject to manufacturing restrictions Minamata convention on mercury (official website)

Press material Thursday, 30 May 2024

● Council of the EU   30/05/2024 12:44 | Press release | Sustainable electricity grids: Council approves conclusions   The Council today approved conclusions on the EU’s electricity grid infrastructure. The conclusions propose a series of measures for an interconnected and resilient electricity network in Europe, to ensure energy security and achieve decarbonisation in the EU. The share of renewables in electricity generation has more than doubled since 2004 to reach almost 40%. The Council conclusions align with this development and reflect the European Union’s ambition to become more green, competitive and resilient in the energy sector, emphasizing the need to roll out an EU Supergrid to incorporate more renewables, support electrification, stabilize prices and increase energy security. Tinne Van der Straeten, Belgian Minister for Energy Coordinated, interconnected and integrated European electricity network The EU aims to achieve a fully integrated, interconnected, and synchronised power system in Europe.  The Council conclusions highlight the need for long-term, coordinated electricity grid infrastructure planning at European level, especially in view of the growing challenge of network congestion. This planning should be combined with the bottom-up coordination of national plans at regional level and take into account the specificities of regions that are not interconnected or not sufficiently interconnected. In this context, the Council reminded the conclusions that the European Council on the achievement of a genuine Energy Union and the importance of interconnections in achieving this. The Commission is invited to propose a strengthened framework that ensures that the grid planning and roll out is compliant with EU climate and energy targets. The aim is to increase transparency and traceability for the whole transmission grid planning and development process. The conclusions also call on the Commission to assess and identify gaps and develop measures, if needed, to improve the governance framework at EU level concerning the planning, selection and implementation of cross-border infrastructure, in order to ensure a sufficiently integrated European and regional approach.  Security and resilience of Europe’s energy system The European Union needs a coordinated set of energy security measures in response to the new threats it has been facing since 2022, including cyber security risks. According to the Council conclusions, the Commission should help member states improve the security of electricity supply, focusing on risk preparedness and taking into account specific risks connected to some of the EU’s external borders. In order to strengthen the infrastructure resilience, member states are also invited to strengthen cooperation with entities at all levels, with a focus on hybrid threats and critical infrastructure. Bridging the gap in electricity grid investment The conclusions acknowledge the unprecedented investment needs in electricity networks at both transmission and distribution level in order to ensure a highly interconnected, integrated and synchronised European power system that is necessary to achieve the EU’s decarbonisation, competitiveness and security of supply objectives. Therefore, the Conclusions invite the Commission, amongst others, to provide information about the actual investment needs in relation to electricity grids – compared to the funds earmarked for them – and to look for ways to increase overall investments for electricity grid infrastructure. The European Investment Bank is also called on to support further expansion and modernisation of grids through financing initiatives. Hybrid meshed grids connected to different member states become increasingly important in order to develop offshore energy production in a cost-effective manner. Therefore, the Council invites the Commission to assess the challenges and remaining gaps involved in the use of hybrid meshed grids in addition to radial connections. Faster grid roll out and nature inclusive design The Council invites the Commission to identify measures to accelerate permitting procedures of grids for a swifter development of electricity grids, while ensuring public engagement.  The conclusions also underline the need to accelerate the standardisation of electricity infrastructure in order to minimise supply chain disturbances and ensure the availability of grid components in Europe. The Commission is invited to explore possibilities to facilitate regional or EU-wide visibility on procurement of grid components. This will send the right signals for local industry to ramp-up manufacturing capacities. In this context, the Commission is also invited to assess the opportunity to adapt the EU rules on public procurement. Background Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has resulted in an energy crisis in Europe. In order to phase out dependency on Russian fossil fuels and ensure energy security, EU leaders signed the Versailles Declaration in March 2022. They agreed to improve the interconnection of European gas and electricity networks and fully synchronise power grids throughout the EU. The Belgian presidency organised an informal ministerial meeting in April to discuss how to strengthen and develop the EU’s electricity grids. In addition, in its conclusions in April 2024, the European Council called for work to be taken forward on energy as a competitiveness driver, in order to achieve a genuine energy union that serves the dual objective of pursuing European energy sovereignty and climate neutrality, by making an ambitious shift to electrical power and investing in grids, storage and interconnections. Council conclusions on advancing sustainable electricity grid infrastructure Versailles Declaration European Council conclusions, 17-18 April 2024 How is EU electricity produced and sold?