EC Sees Many Roads Leading to Paris
Negotiators from the European Commission (EC), the European Parliament and the Council have reached an agreement on governance of the Energy Union that will enable the European Union to fulfill its obligations under the Paris Agreement, the EC said June 20. The objective of the Energy Union is secure, affordable and climate-friendly energy.
Each member state is to prepare a national energy and climate plan for the period 2021 to 2030 that will be comparable throughout the EU. Assessments of the draft plans, and recommendations by the EC will result in final plans that ensure that the 2030 climate and energy targets will be reached in a coherent, collaborative and least-cost way across the EU, it said in a statement the day the deal was done.
The EC said the regulation would align the frequency and timing of reporting obligations with the Paris Climate Agreement, "significantly enhancing transparency and delivering a reduction of the administrative burden for the member states, the EC and other EU Institutions." But it also contains the "necessary flexibility for members to reflect national specificities and fully respects their freedom to determine their energy mix." Energy and the environment are competencies shared between the EC and the member states.
EC vice-president for the energy union, Maros Sefcovic, said: "Now I am looking forward to the member states' draft energy and climate plans by the end of this year, as they send a strong signal to investors who need clarity and predictability."