Christian Ernhede

The European Commission has said that it is still assessing whether to fulfil a long-running commitment to propose halting the export of pesticides that are banned within the EU.

The European Commission has repeated warnings about the “load” on the IT system for complying with the EU’s anti-deforestation law if the current scope is maintained, according to a leaked draft, despite having previously said that its IT problems were resolved.

MEPs are pushing for faster permitting and tacit approvals for a wider range of power installations, as part of their tentative negotiating position on the grids package.

The European Commission has set out a goal to diversify agricultural activities in an effort to make the sector more competitive and sustainable, although with few concrete measures.

European Commission officials have indicated that upcoming tweaks to default emission values under the EU’s carbon market will provide another €6 billion in free allocations for heavy industry, after having already added €4 billion through more flexible benchmarks.

The EU executive is sketching on an exhaustive list of activities that will be considered as harmful to the bloc’s green goals, as it prepares to launch a “targeted consultation” on the ‘do no significant harm’ principle in EU funding.

The European Commission has dropped several key products from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, if categorised by its holders as waste, in what campaigners describe as a “loophole” that risks further incentivising biofuels fraud.

The European Commission has indicated that it will refrain from reopening the Nitrates Directive, following an extensive review, although campaigners have criticised efforts to “relax” the implementation of the rules through the back door.

National capitals have pushed for extending the circulation of emission allowances under the EU cap and trade scheme to "closer” to 2050, as the European Commission prepares to come forward with a proposal updating to the bloc’s cornerstone climate framework.

The EU executive has put forward broad proposals charting the course for the bloc’s cornerstone emissions trading system over the next decade, counting on international credits to compensate a significantly lower headline emission reduction rate.