Video viEUws.eu: EU Environment Briefing
The question that was burning everyone’s lips earlier this week was: ‘what would happen to glyphosate?’. The controversial herbicide was supposed to see its EU i license renewed by Member States for another 15 years, but things went downhill after the vote was cast off. The controversy that lies behind this sudden change of plan is the divergence of opinion between the World Heath Organisation that point its fingers to glyphosate’s potential carcinogenicity and the European Food Safety Agency that ensures otherwise. A resolution is to be tabled by the European Parliament by the end of next week. Still on chemicals, Commission will present for a vote an amended proposal to member states on the use of toxic phthalate DEHP in recycled PVC on 16 March.
Earlier this month, EU Environment ministers met in Brussels to discuss, inter alia, the Paris Agreement and its follow-up. On the 2nd of March, the European Commission issued a post COP-21 policy paper that basically concluded: not much. The Commission did not propose to review Europe’s climate goals until 2023, but will start working on a new climate strategy for 2050, this time. Whilst some Ministers agreed that the EU needs more ambitious targets for 2030, others considered their revisions useless. More to come after the 17-18 March Summit?
The circular economy proposals were also on the ENVI Council agenda with a special eye on a non-legislative action plan pertaining to them. While most Ministers stressed the importance of eco-design rules, some others remained rather sceptical over the realism of these targets. In the meantime, the Dutch Presidency is to finish a first run-through of the circular economy proposals with Member State experts later this week and hopes to see the NEC directive finalised under its mandate. A second trialogue is scheduled to happen on 4 April. Sonja van Renssen, leading energy and environment journalist, has the story.