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Countdown to a 2030 European Clean Energy Framework: Energy Union Governance

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Countdown to a 2030 European Clean Energy Framework: Energy Union Governance

European negotiators are set to agree on the Energy Union Governance regulation tonight. The regulation aims at giving a stable framework for clean energy businesses by bringing the rhythm of the Paris Agreement on climate change in Europe and guaranteeing that the 2030 energy efficiency and renewable energy targets are delivered. This briefing presents everything you need to know to understand the final minutes of the negotiations.

European climate and energy policies come in 'packages’, on a more or less ten-year cycle. Under the Juncker Commission, the co-legislators (Council and Parliament) were asked to agree on a set of legislation setting the vision for 2030. Last week, they reached an agreement on some parts of renewable energy policy after 2020 (targets, policies and measures) while the discussions on energy efficiency were not conclusive.

An important difference between the European clean energy framework before and after 2020 is that an EU-wide target will replace nationally binding renewable energy targets. This change implies a fundamental challenge: how to make sure that the target is delivered even if there are no national targets? The Commission has put forward the Energy Union Governance regulation to solve this dilemma.

The Governance proposal plays another crucial role: ensuring, by law, that the EU fulfils its commitments under the Paris Agreement, notably the need to review its domestic ambition every five years, and to put forward a long-term climate strategy before 2020.

There have been three negotiation rounds so far between the three institutions. Co-legislators have been able to find a compromise on most of the technical items, leaving the political issues for a final discussion tonight.

More details in the PDF.

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