Work activities are resuming in Brussels with the European institutions in the public spotlight following the recent scandals at the heart of the Union. On the weekly agenda we find the activities of the Parliamentary Committee responsible for the Environment and Health (ENVI) restarting at full speed.
DIGITAL
Thursday 12 January 2023. In Brussels, the Council Working Group on Research will open its work with a meeting with representatives of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This will be followed by a presentation of the Swedish Council Presidency’s priorities, the Commission’s work programme for 2023 and the initiatives planned in the field of Research and Innovation of course for 2023.
ENERGY
Tuesday, 10 January 2023. The Energy Working Group of the Council of the EU will work on the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive. The 2009 directive was already readjusted in 2018 and the Commission in July 2021 proposed its revision to make the targets on the use of renewable energy in Europe more ambitious and faster. Specifically, a 40% target is set (the current one is 32%) in line with the European Green Deal. Furthermore, the revision foresees the introduction of measures to support the adoption of renewable energy in the transport, heating and cooling sectors. The directive is scheduled for adoption in the first quarter of 2023.
Thursday 12 January 2023. The Parliamentary Committee responsible for the Environment (ENVI) will meet in Brussels. On the agenda, the reports on the ongoing interinstitutional negotiations on many dossiers. Specifically, the reports on: the establishment of a Border Carbon Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) with rapporteur Dutch MEP Mohammed Chahim (S&D); the amendment of Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union with rapporteur German MEP Pieter Liese (EPP); the amendment of Decision (EU) 2015/1814 as regards the quantity of allowances to be integrated into the market stabilisation reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme until 2030 with rapporteur Cyrus Engerer (S&D) from Malta; the amendment of Regulation (EU) 2021/241 with regard to the inclusion of chapters dedicated to the REPowerEU plan in the recovery and resilience plans, again with rapporteur German MEP Liese; and finally, the amendment of Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources, Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings and Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency, with rapporteur the Finnish MEP Nils Torvalds (Renew).
OTHER APPOINTMENTS
Thursday 12 and Friday 13 January 2023. Of note is the Commission’s trip, as usual at the start of each new EU Council presidency, to Kiruna at the invitation of the Swedish government.
