The answers of the 26 Commissioners to the committees’ questions are available and have been published. The Commission’s Directorates-General were heavily involved. Finally, the texts were also submitted to the President’s Cabinet. In this respect, it can be assumed that they come close to the political intentions of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.Competition: Teresa […]
Today, the European Parliament is engaging in a critical discussion on how to address the ongoing steel crisis, with particular attention to a statement from the European Commission on the matter. This debate comes at a pivotal time for the European steel industry, which faces significant challenges due to global competition, rising energy costs, and […]
The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy wants to redistribute the costs for the expansion of the European electricity grid between the member states. The expansion of the grid in the EU raises “the question of how investment costs should be distributed among several member states and between grid users,” writes the BMWK in […]
The informal “Nuclear Energy Focus Group” has reorganized itself in Parliament. In a statement on Wednesday evening, MEPs led by Christophe Grudler (Renew) agreed with key demands made by the French government and the Nuclear Alliance in the Council. For example, the Commission should present an updated Nuclear Illustrative Program (PINC) and nuclear industry projects […]
The Directorate-General for Energy (DG Ener) intends to present a roadmap for the complete phase-out of Russian oil and gas in the near future. “Russian fossil fuels are still present in the EU, especially gas. I therefore plan to present a roadmap in the first quarter of 2025 to drive forward the phase-out of Russian […]
The Directorate-General for Climate reacts cautiously to calls for more EU funding for nuclear energy. “Euratom funding focuses on aspects of nuclear safety”, writes the Directorate-General for Climate Action in a briefing for the Commissioner-designate for the Clean Industrial Deal, Wopke Hoekstra. On 122 pages, the officials prepare Hoekstra for possible questions at the hearing […]
Kadri Simson said goodbye with a smile and words of warning. It will probably be her last Energy Council, said the Estonian Commissioner on Tuesday evening in Luxembourg. Previously, the ministers had mainly argued about Russian gas. If the trend of recent months continues, the EU will import eight billion cubic meters more Russian gas […]
The wind is changing in energy policy. The responsible ministers are once again discussing security of supply and Russian energy exports in Brussels today. But as far as prices are concerned, Germany and eleven other member states are calling for a change of direction. The “Friends of Renewables” wrote in a position paper on Monday […]
The dispute over the Heating Act in Germany has shown what can happen when plans for the energy transition are not coordinated. The Ministry of Economic Affairs had to withdraw an initial draft because it had not sufficiently considered how the phase-out of gas heating is linked to the expansion of district heating networks.There are […]
When a politician takes on a powerful office, it sometimes brings to the fore those who still have unpaid bills to settle. In the case of Teresa Ribera, the future Executive Vice-President of the EU Commission, there are said to be billions in unpaid bills. “Ursula von der Leyen wants to lead a Commission of […]