The Informal Meeting of EU Environment Ministers, held in Stockholm on 18 and 19 April 2023, in the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, was attended by the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment, Mr.Petros Xenophontos.
During the first day of the Summit, the European Ministers had the opportunity to discuss with business representatives the conditions, incentives and further cooperation to overcome bottlenecks related to nature and biodiversity, climate neutrality and the circular economy to achieve the green transition.
In his intervention, Mr. Xenophontos conveyed the position that there are several economic and institutional factors that can be further promoted as part of the effort to improve the competitive sustainability of businesses. The Cypriot Minister noted that systems that recognise sustainable business practices with legal clarity and fairness are essential in the green transition effort. In this context, the EU Classification Regulation and the new proposal of the Green Criteria Directive will help to clarify which investments are environmentally sustainable, support the development of green markets and give a clearer picture of the national situation so that incentives to businesses can be granted in a more targeted and correct way. He added that Cyprus, in the context of the energy crisis and the REPowerEU project, has incorporated into its national legislation provisions to speed up the granting of environmental permits for renewable energy projects, with a maximum deadline of seven months from the submission of the project application.
In light of the revision of the National Energy and Climate Plan, the Minister pointed out that we are seeking the adoption of synergies between governments and private companies to implement effective measures that will lead to the achievement of climate and environmental goals by 2030.
The Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment then referred to the significant opportunities that exist for businesses to become leaders by investing in environmentally friendly technologies and practices.
With regard to the actions being taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the Minister said that at this stage we must prioritise the industrial sector and jointly create a supportive environment for the transition of industries towards zero emissions.
We have a responsibility, Xenophontos concluded, to take bold steps towards a clean, zero-emission future, while ensuring that our economy is sustainable, resilient and beneficial for all. Xenophontos, in his latest intervention on plastic pollution, noted that its successful reduction should be based on a mix of economic tools and legal measures that proactively address the entire life cycle of plastic products, by promoting policies to improve the design of plastic products to enhance durability, reuse and recycling.
In conclusion, the main EU priorities for the development of a circular economy for plastics and the promotion of sustainable production and consumption of the most circular products possible were analysed, while measures to promote new innovative solutions and standards that will contribute to the active involvement of the business community and extended producer responsibility schemes in the circular transition of plastics were discussed.
21 April 2023
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