(Finance) – At the end of an intense and complex day of votes the plenary of the European Parliament approved five of the eight dossiers of the Fit for 55 package, the EU’s most ambitious set of legislative texts on climate policies, to cut emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality for half a century. In detail, two texts on aviation have passed, two on CO2 emissions and removals from agriculture and forests and one on CO2 emission standards for new cars and vans with the decision, defined as historic, to ban the sale of cars that emit CO2 from 2035.
However, the plenary of the European Parliament gave the ok to extend the derogation from 2030 to 2036 for small car manufacturers (from 1000 to 10 thousand a year) and vans (from 1000 to 22 thousand). The amendment was presented with the clear aim of safeguard the production of supercars in the motor valley of Emilia-Romagnalike Ferrari and Lamborghini.
However, the plenary sent a substantial part of the package back to the Environment Committee: the reform of the EU CO2 market, the ETS, and the two related texts, the Social Climate Fund and that of “climate duties” known as CBAM.
“After today’s negative outcome of the carbon market reform in the European Parliament, we are giving ourselves 15 days to reach an agreement and vote on this fundamental climate reform on 23 June” announced the Pascal Canfin, president of the Environment Committee of the European Parliament on Twitter. The intention is to vote in the Brussels mini-plenary.
The stated goal of the EU institutions is to approve a substantial part of the Ets package before the Cop of Sharm El Sheikhscheduled for next November.
MEPs also approve measures to allow the EU CO2 market to cover emissions from all flights departing from an airport in the European Economic Area and to eliminate free allowances for the sector in 2025 instead of 2027 as proposed by the Commission.
(Photo: © European Union 2019 – Source: EP)