The EU Environment Council took place today in Brussels. Cyprus was represented by the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr. Andreas Grigoriou.3]
The Council held an exchange of views on the "Fit for 55" package presented by the European Commission last July, which includes a series of proposals for the implementation of the European Green Deal. In particular, Member States took positions on the five climate-related legislative proposals in the package, namely the revision of the directive on the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme (ETS), effort sharing in the form of national emission reduction targets, the regulation on emissions from land use, the revision of the rules on CO2 performance standards for cars and the regulation establishing a Social Fund for Climate. In his intervention, the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture stated that Cyprus' objective is to adopt a balanced agreement that will lead to the achievement of the agreed climate targets, with a fair and cost-effective burden sharing. In this context, he expressed concern about the socio-economic impact of the extension of the Emissions Trading Scheme to buildings and road transport. Mr Gregoriou then stressed the need for the European Commission to propose an appropriate framework that responds to the specificities of the Member States, noting sensitive issues such as the inclusion of shipping in the trading scheme and the dependence on air transport. It noted that Cyprus considers that further financial support is necessary, suggesting its inclusion in the Modernisation Fund and/or increasing the amount available from the Social Fund for Climate. In the context of the work, an exchange of views was also held on the progress report on the Regulation on batteries and battery waste. Cyprus has a general reservation on the text, underlining the need to set realistic targets that meet the needs of all EU Member States, as well as a clear legislative framework to set timetables for the implementation of countries' obligations. The Soil Protection Strategy was also the subject of extensive discussion. In his intervention, Mr. Gregoriou, after stating that Cyprus supports the promotion of a comprehensive Strategy with the ultimate goal of protecting and sustainably using soil, pointed out the need to respect the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. Both in Cyprus and in the Eastern Mediterranean region in general there are specific characteristics, he stressed, which should be taken seriously into account in the formulation of the final legislation. It is very important that Member States are given the flexibility to determine how to manage their obligations and to decide the degree of risk acceptance, as well as the objectives and measures necessary to achieve them, he concluded. The issue of the creation of additional carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the implementation of the mandatory vehicle return provision under Mobility Package I was also raised by Lithuania, with the support of Cyprus and other Member States, in the context of the work.Contents of this article including associated images are owned by
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