Last year was the hottest in recorded human history. The necessity of action is becoming a worldwide consensus, with the EU hoping to be a beacon showing the world its best-in-class climate policy. There is just one problem: citizens hate it.

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Europe’s chosen set of climate policies is not very popular. And politicians are becoming aware of it. Awful timing, given that in 90 days, a new European Parliament will be elected – and a new European Commission selected. The next turn in Brussels politics will likely see the bloc focus more on competitive companies and the defence industry.

But deciding on a 2040 climate target remains on the agenda. And the world will meet in Brazil for COP30 in some 18 months already. Climate change doesn’t stop just because the European polity stopped caring. 

A representative study conducted by the Berlin-based Jacques Delors Centre polled 5,000 people in France, Germany, and Poland respectively. The result? The EU’s flagship climate policies: CO2 pricing and getting rid of petrol/diesel cars were perceived least favourably.

Policies that are less effective but involve spending more money, like additional investments into public transport and government investments into the power grid, were rated most favourably.

For the outgoing European Commission – and Frans Timmermans, the architect of the Green Deal who left early to avoid paying the bill – the survey is a slap in the face. Jonathan Packroff has the full story. 

Little wonder then, that the EU’s biggest political party, the centre-right juggernaut known as the EPP, is campaigning against the Green Deal – while fielding the woman who put it in place. 

The 2035 ban on new combustion engine cars – rated least favourable by all respondents – is becoming a core electioneering issue. Easier to wield than abstract ideas of overreaching bureaucracy and competitiveness, too. 

German conservatives, who will once again call the shots in Europe, know it well. “Germany is a car country,” stressed EPP chief Manfred Weber on Monday in Berlin – next to him, Ursula von der Leyen did not contradict him. Jonathan Packroff has the story.

Additional Green Deal files cross the finish line. The European Parliament adopted some last-minute laws in its second-to-last session in Strasbourg. A heavily watered-down buildings directive (EPBD) saw a surprisingly large majority in its favour – after EPP chief Weber laid down the law in Bucharest the week before. Is the EPBD through? 

With the FDP in Berlin, you never know. The party does dislike the law – as diligent Euractiv readers will know. Other EU countries are similarly sceptical, most of all Italy – but so far no blockades have been announced. It may just squeak by. Read the story here.

Speaking of squeaking (by). The EU’s new Industrial Emissions Directive – neutered without narcotics – was narrowly adopted by Parliament, too. A total of 293 lawmakers voted to reopen negotiations, while 306 opposed it. And that was with cattle removed from the remit of the law. Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro has the story.

Environmental policy Zeitenwende. EPP power broker Peter Liese, who of course hails from Germany, said the week in Parliament amounted to a momentous shift in approach. 

“The Zeitenwende in European environmental policy is continuing,” he stressed, given that he got its way on three key votes: industrial emissions, EURO7 standards for cars, and the CO2 removal framework – which is now extra friendly to foresters and farmers.

Let it be said: Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz coined the term “Zeitenwende” in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine in 2022. 

But perhaps Liese has it right – given what citizens think of Europe’s current climate policies, perhaps a deep think is needed.

After all, Europe is far from prepared for the impacts that a rapidly worsening climate will bring. Nathan Canas has the story.

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In the race to secure a nuclear unit tender for the Dukovany power plant, Czechia express concerns over cost overruns and delays, casting a shadow on French company EDF’s bid.

Must reads

• Departing from coal: Poland’s new energy roadmap – By Nathan Canas
• Nuclear: In Prague, Macron defends EDF against non-European competition – By Paul Messad
• EU negotiators arm CSDDD text against last-minute political push – By Anna Brunetti
• Parliament committee seeks timeline for EU countries to improve soil health – By Maria Simon Arboleas
• Europe’s grid investment gap is worse than feared – By Nikolaus J. Kurmayer

News from the capitals

BERLIN. ‘We are a car country’: German conservatives commit to reverse combustion engine ban. Germany’s conservative CDU/CSU continues pushing to reverse the controversial phase-out of internal combustion engine cars by 2035, despite the demand being dropped from the European People’s Party election manifesto. Read more.

PRAGUE. Czech environment minister calls for expanded EU carbon border measures. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) should cover more products, such as building or textile materials, Czech Environment Minister Petr Hladík told Euractiv, adding that it could encourage the world to reduce emissions. Read more.

ROME. Italy presses ahead with nuclear as energy transition tool after 30–plus–year hiatus. The Italian Chamber of Deputies will launch a major inquiry into how nuclear energy could help Italy reach its energy transition goals, a significant step as the country remains the only G7 nation not operating nuclear power stations, having shut down the last plant over 30 years ago. Read more.

PRAGUE. Czech concerns over costs and delays cast shadow on French EDF nuclear bid. In the race to secure a nuclear unit tender for the Dukovany power plant, Czechia express concerns over cost overruns and delays, casting a shadow on French company EDF’s bid. Read more.

News in brief

The Commission’s key measures for managing climate risks. Following the publication of the first European Climate Risk Assessment report by the European Environment Agency, the European Commission has set out how the EU and its member states can better anticipate, understand and respond to the growing climate risks.

The policy framework advocated by the Commission to strengthen climate resilience suggests that there is a need for greater clarity on the responsibilities and management of climate risks between the EU and the member states, stronger solidarity mechanisms, and improved access to data, models and scenarios to better anticipate the impacts of climate change. [Nathan Canas]

Taxonomy-warrior promoted. German EU lawmaker René Repasi, best known for his legal fight against the EU’s sustainable finance taxonomy, has been promoted to chair of the EU group of the German centre-left SPD. He succeeds Jens Geier, who’d himself negotiated the gas and hydrogen infrastructure rules parts of the Green Deal. [Nikolaus J. Kurmayer]

Opinions

Do you think you have something to contribute to the EU’s energy and environment policy debate? Are you a lawmaker or think-tank? Submit an op-ed at opinion@euractiv.com while minding the guidelines.

On our radar

• 11-14 MARCH. Parliament plenary
  – Vote on Waste Framework Directive
  
• 15 MARCH. EU-US Energy Council chaired by Energy Commissioner Simson
• 20-21 MARCH. European Council
• 25 MARCH. Environment Council
• 10 APRIL. Stocktaking on the clean transition dialogues.
• 10-11 APRIL. Parliament Mini-Plenary (Brussels)
• 15-16 APRIL. Informal Energy Council
• 22-25 APRIL. Last Parliament plenary session before the European elections
  – Circularity requirements for vehicle design and on management of end-of-life vehicles
• 30 MAY. Energy Council 
• SPRING 2024. First European Climate Risk Assessment
• 6-9 JUNE: European elections
• 17 JUNE. Environment Council (Luxembourg)
• 27-28 JUNE. European Council

[Edited by Nathalie Weatherald]

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