EU Environment Ministers meet in Brussels to discuss Fit for 55 package
The EU ministers responsible for the environment and climate change issues will meet in Brussels on 17 March to discuss the EU’s Fit for 55 package, the Battery Regulation and the Deforestation Regulation. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Emma Kari.
The Environment Ministers will hold a policy debate on the elements of the Fit for 55 package that are the responsibility of the Environment Council (Emissions Trading Directive and amending it with respect to aviation, Effort Sharing Regulation, LULUCF Regulation, Regulation setting CO2 emission performance standards for cars and vans, and Regulation establishing a social climate fund). The negotiations on the package have intensified and the aim for France is to adopt a general approach on the proposals in June.
“We can already see the impacts of the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity in our daily lives in all parts of the world. It is most important that with package the EU will reach its emission reduction target of at least 55 per cent. Because of the war Ukraine, it is even more important to speed up the green transition and the process to phase out imported fossil fuels in the whole Europe. The Fit for 55 package has a key role in this work,” Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Emma Kari says.
“In particular, extending emissions trading to building-specific heating and road transport and the social impacts this will have requires more work and careful consideration of the different options,” Minister Kari says.
The meeting should also adopt a general approach on the EU’s Battery Regulation, which aims to promote the use of battery materials that are compatible with a circular economy. Finland considers it important to reach a general approach on this and, in general, welcomes and supports the proposal.
With the new Battery Regulation, the battery industry must pay more attention to the environmental impacts of the entire lifecycle of batteries from raw materials and their harmfulness to the recycling and climate impacts of batteries. This will improve the competitive position of the Finnish battery industry and reduce the environmental harm caused by batteries. If the general approach will be adopted, the next step will be a round of negotiations with the European Parliament to formulate the final text of the regulation.
The Environment Council will also discuss the Commission proposal for a Regulation on the placing on the EU market and export of products associated with deforestation or forest degradation. The Commission gave the proposal for the Deforestation Regulation in November 2021. Finland is committed to the objective of halting global deforestation by 2030. The current measures have not been sufficient in terms of halting deforestation, which means that further measures are needed. Finland considers it important that the proposal is consistent with other EU forest-related initiatives and the applicable regulation. To ensure that forests are preserved, it is important to fully recognise and appreciate the multiple ecological, economic and social benefits they provide, both nationally and globally.
Inquiries:
Terhi Lehtonen
State Secretary to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change
Ministry of the Environment
tel. +358 40 569 0140
[email protected]
Mervi Mattila
Senior Specialist
tel. +358 295 250 178
[email protected]