Latest news with #PeterLiese
Japan Times
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Japan Times
EU's far right to help shape 2040 climate goals after vote fails
A far-right group in the European Parliament is set to have influence over shaping the European Union's 2040 climate goals, after lawmakers on Wednesday failed to gather enough votes in their first attempt to curb its role in negotiations. An initiative to fast-track the legislation — which would have stripped power from the climate-skeptical Patriots of Europe group — fell short due to insufficient backing from the center-right European People's Party. In the EU assembly, the plan for urgent consideration of the greenhouse gas reduction law was backed by the Socialists & Democrats, Renew and Greens. The legislation is aimed at cutting emissions 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels. Though the parliament has now opted for more time to consider the law, the EPP said after the vote that a fast-track agreement is still possible before the EU presents its emissions-cutting plans before the United Nations climate talks in November in Brazil. The EU wants the plans for 2035, known as NDC, to be linked to its 2040 goal. "Our responsibility lies with a view to the international process, the necessity to deliver an NDC in due time and give a positive signal to the climate conference in Belem,' said Peter Liese, the group's lead lawmaker on environment. "On the other hand, we think that Europe needs to lead by example by keeping industry inside Europe and helping them to decarbonize and keep citizens on board.' The EPP is the biggest group in the parliament and the political home of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who depends on backing from the Socialists, Renew and Greens for majority support. The three groups have defined climate as a key issue on their agendas. Pascal Canfin, a senior lawmaker for the liberal Renew, said the four parties could make another attempt at triggering a fast-track procedure on the 2040 goal in September if the far-right tried to delay the climate law. The Patriots have the right to nominate a lead lawmaker, meaning the group can steer the climate proposal through the parliament, have a say on dates and represent the assembly in talks with member states and the commission about the final shape of the law. The parliament as well as member states in the EU Council each have the right to submit amendments to the commission's original proposal. Climate progressives had hoped the European Parliament would swiftly endorse a 90% emissions reduction target, increasing pressure on hesitant EU member states to follow suit. The EU must submit its 2035 climate plan to the U.N. ahead of COP30 in Belem. Any delay or dilution of ambition could undermine the bloc's credibility as a global climate leader. EU member states are set to discuss the 2040 target for the first time at an informal meeting of environment ministers in Aalborg, Denmark, on Thursday.
Euractiv
02-07-2025
- Business
- Euractiv
Seven key points about the EU's new 2040 climate target
In just 15 years, Europe must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% compared to 1990 levels, the EU executive proposed today, while offering reluctant governments some leeway in how to get there. Here we break the new climate bill down into its essentials. With targets of a 55% reduction by the end of this decade and net-zero by mid-century already in place, the EU had, until now, no intermediate target to keep governments on track. It is this 2040 milestone that the EU executive proposed today – after a delay of over a year. 'We took the time to think strategically about how we make this a success for Europe,' climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said on Wednesday as he presented the bill. Here's what you need to know: The EU executive is following the advice of its climate advisory board, which said 90% was the bare minimum if Europe is serious about net-zero. Three percentage points of that target can be met, from 2036 onwards, with 'high-quality' carbon credits created from extra climate action outside the EU, purchased on a UN-backed global market. This equates to a massive 150 million tonnes of outsourced emissions reduction. Without offering such leeway, the Commission may have been unable to hold the 90% line. 'We do not see a majority in either Parliament or the Council for a 2040 target without flexibility,' said MEPs Peter Liese and Christian Ehler of the centre-right European People's Party. Heavy industry and domestic airlines, squeezed by a cap on emissions that will reach zero by the end of the 2030s, will be able to continue operating by counting permanent CO2 removals using carbon capture (directly from the air or from biomass power plants) and storage (for example, in depleted offshore gas fields). And with some sectors not making much progress at all – housing and road transport come to mind – inter-sector flexibility will be created so that overachieving industries can compensate for laggards. A new set of laws, informally termed the 'Fit for 90' package, is expected in the second half of 2026, a senior Commission official said. Germany remains the king of EU policymaking, the 2040 target confirms – as Euractiv reported, its final shape closely mirrors a government agreement struck in Berlin. 'A European paper factory that burns bioenergy and captures the CO2 can actually create [ETS] certificates,' explained Hoekstra, referring to emissions allowances under the EU's carbon cap-and-trade UN-backed carbon credits could become a multi-billion-euro industry. A conservative estimate suggests EU countries could be charged upwards of €10 billion per year for the privilege of claiming the equivalent of 150 million tonnes of CO2 savings. (rh, aw)
Euronews
26-06-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Will anti-greenwashing directive survive EU institutions' tug-of-war?
Last week, the European Commission announced plans to remove one of the key proposals from the European Green Deal. The directive aims to combat greenwashing by regulating the use of terms such as "eco-responsible" or "natural" by an independent body. "The proposal on green claims aims to ensure better consumer protection and guarantee the competitiveness of European businesses," Sandro Gozi, a French MEP (Renew Europe), told Euronews. "We want to justify a claim that this product is very green, this product is very sustainable. That's fine, but if you say that, if you go to market saying that, you have to follow a procedure that allows us to make sure that what is being said is true", he added. The controversy erupted following the Commission's repeated backtracking on environmental policies. Peter Liese, a German centre-right MEP, confirms that the EPP wants the text withdrawn. "The EPP thinks it is good that the Commission is withdrawing this legislation, because it comes from the old days, when the Commission thought we couldn't have enough environmental legislation," Liese told Euronews. "And we have seen that businesses, particularly SMEs, are overburdened with so many complexities." Social Democrat, Green, and Liberal MEPs, for their part, are criticising the EPP conservatives for aligning with the hard and far right, and are threatening to cut ties with the group. "If it is confirmed that the European Commission is withdrawing this proposal for the sole reason that it is giving in to a majority constructed by the conservatives with far-right groups, this is the moment when von der Leyen loses the support of her own majority, the liberals, the social democrats, the greens and her own EPP group", René Repasi, a German social democrat MEP (S&D), told Euronews. The European Commission could return to the negotiating table if the agreement does not apply to micro-enterprises. "I hope there is room for agreement between the three institutions," said Teresa Ribera, European Commission Vice-President for a clean, fair and competitive transition. "The message coming from the Commission was that this was such a relevant change in the discussion that the Commission could consider withdrawing the directive", she concluded.
RTÉ News
06-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Merz vows to curb irregular migration and stop the rise of anti-migration AfD party
Peter Liese, German CDU MEP, outlines the challenges and opportunities faced by Germany's new chancellor, Friedrich Merz.
Reuters
07-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Key EU lawmaker says 90% emissions cut too ambitious for 2040 climate goal
BRUSSELS, April 7 (Reuters) - A European Union climate target to slash net emissions 90% by 2040 would be overly ambitious, and the bloc should consider lowering the goal for domestic industries, Peter Liese, a senior member of the European Parliament, told Reuters. Liese, a senior EU lawmaker in the influential European People's Party - the biggest lawmaker group in the European Parliament - said the group was still developing its position, but that he believed a 90% goal would overburden industries. "Many of us, in particular, in Council and Parliament, we see the 90% as very ambitious, I even would say over-ambitious," he said in an interview. "We really think when the 90% is implemented without any flexibility, then it will lead to de-industrialisation." The European Commission is drafting a proposal for the EU's 2040 climate target and is exploring softening its goal from a previous plan to cut EU emissions by 90% to win over skeptical governments and lawmakers concerned about the cost for businesses, Reuters reported earlier on Monday. Liese is the centre-right EPP group's most senior lawmaker on climate policies. The EPP holds 188 of 720 seats in the European Parliament, crucial to forming the parliamentary majority needed to approve the EU's 2040 climate goal. The EU's independent climate science advisers have recommended a 90% to 95% emissions-cutting goal as achievable. However, a topic that has shot up the EU's political agenda this year is helping European industries that are struggling amid cheaper imports and U.S. tariffs. An overall 90% target which sets a lower emissions-cutting target for domestic industries and allows countries to buy international carbon credits to make up the rest "could be a way out," Liese said. He said the EU would need to ensure these credits have high environmental benefits. Sources have told Reuters the Commission is looking into this option. CO2 credits have faced multiple scandals where credit-generating projects were found to not deliver the climate benefits they claimed. An 85% target would still be ambitious for 2040, Liese added. Socialist and Green lawmakers support a 90% target, while right-wing lawmaker groups including the European Conservatives and Reformists have opposed it.
