Governance of the energy union and climate action

The Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy adopted the joint report by Michèle RIVASI (Greens/EFA, FR) and Claude TURMES (Greens/EFA, LU) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Governance of the Energy Union, amending Directive 94/22/EC, Directive 98/70/EC, Directive 2009/31/EC, Regulation (EC) No 663/2009, Regulation (EC) No 715/2009, Directive 2009/73/EC, Council Directive 2009/119/EC, Directive 2010/31/EU, Directive 2012/27/EU, Directive 2013/30/EU and Council Directive (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013.

The committees recommended that the European Parliament’s position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal as follows.

Subject matter and scope: the amended text stipulated that the Regulation establishes a Governance mechanism to: 

• implement long-term climate and energy strategies and measures designed to fulfil Union greenhouse gas emissions commitments consistent with the Paris Agreement;
• structure partnerships and cooperation between Member States at macro-regional and regional level, designed to achieve the targets, objectives and commitments of the Energy Union;
• contribute to greater regulatory and investor certainty.

Integrated national energy and climate plans: Members stressed that by 6 months after the date of entry into force of this Regulation and in any event by 1 June 2019, each Member State shall submit to the Commission an integrated national energy and climate plan covering a ten-year period.

By 1 January 2024, and every five years thereafter, each Member State shall submit subsequent integrated national energy and climate plans. The first plan shall cover the period from 2021 to 2030.

The integrated national energy and climate plan shall consist, inter alia, of:

• a description of the consultation and involvement of local authorities, civil society, business, the social partners and citizens and their results;
• a description of macro-regional and regional cooperation;
• a description of the regulatory and non-regulatory barriers and hurdles to delivering the targets and objectives;
• an assessment of the impacts of the planned policies and measures on competitiveness linked to the Energy Union and on environmental, including air quality and nature protection, health, macro-economic, and social impacts;
• an assessment of the number of households in energy poverty in the Member States and include a national indicative objective to reduce energy poverty. The Commission should adopt a common methodology for Member States to define energy poverty.

Multilevel climate and energy dialogue platform: Member State shall establish a permanent multilevel climate and energy dialogue platform to support active engagement of local authorities, civil society organisations, business community, investors, any other relevant stakeholders and the general public in managing the energy transition. They shall submit to their national climate and energy dialogue platform different options and scenarios envisaged for their short, medium and long-term energy and climate policies, together with a cost benefit analysis for each option.

Identification and financing of renewable energy projects of energy union interest: Member States cooperating together shall draw up a regional list of renewable energy projects of energy union interest (RPEIs) contributing to the achievement of the renewable energy target by 2030. That list shall be part of the national energy and climate plans.

Upon reception of integrated national energy and climate plans, the Commission shall establish a Union list of RPEIs by 31 December 2020. In addition, the Commission shall set-up an instrument at Union level contributing to financial support to RPEIs included in the Union list.

Just Transition Initiative for workers and communities: Members proposed establishing a Just Transition Initiative to support workers and communities which could be adversely impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy. The initiative should take the form of a board of representatives coming from Member States’ national authorities, the Commission, local and regional representatives as well as the social partners developing calls for projects in the area of the just transition. The Commission shall set up a financing platform at Union level directly contributing financial support to the Just Transition Initiative.

Consistency with overall climate objective: in order to respect the commitments of the Paris Agreement, the Commission is called on, by 1 July 2018, to report on the remaining global carbon budget that is consistent with pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to well below 2°C, in particular 1.5°C, above pre-industrial levels and shall publish an analysis of the Union’s fair share for 2050 and 2100.

Member States and the Commission on behalf of the Union shall adopt, by 1 January 2019 and every five years thereafter, their long-term climate and energy strategies with a 30 years perspective.

The Commission shall assess whether the national long-term strategies are adequate for the collective achievement of the Union objectives. The Commission may issue recommendations to Member States to facilitate this end and to assist Member States in their efforts to prepare and implement their long-term strategies.

Methane strategy: the Commission shall analyse the implications for policies and measures of adopting a 20-year time horizon for methane. It shall consider policy options for rapidly addressing methane emissions and come forward with a Union methane strategy, with a priority to energy and waste related methane emissions.

E-platform: the Commission shall establish a public online platform to facilitate communication between the Commission and Member States, promote cooperation among Member States and facilitate public access to information.