The agreement reached today, 29 June at the EU Environment Council in Luxembourg on the Fit for 55 legislative package, as part of the European Union's efforts to effectively tackle climate change, is a very important step towards the implementation of the European Green Deal.
During the intensive negotiations that took place, Cyprus managed to obtain the recognition of its specificities as an island Member State and, as a result, the inclusion in the agreement of specific provisions concerning, inter alia, its air and maritime connectivity, its different starting point in the energy sector and its status as a maritime state.
Remaining ambitious in relation to the 55% net emission reduction targets by 2030, Cyprus has ensured that relevant facilities are provided in relation to its specificities in order to avoid disproportionate costs.
Special mention should be made, for example, to the shipping sector, where Cyprus has managed to secure increased revenues through the auctioning of emission allowances and the incorporation of its proposal to reward the use of sustainable aviation fuels, which is expected to contribute significantly to the green transition of the aviation sector at pan-European level.
Cyprus looks forward to finalising the agreement during the negotiations with the European Parliament which are expected to start next autumn.
Today's positive development for Cyprus comes as a follow-up to the Conclusions adopted by the EU Summit last May. We recall that these European Council Conclusions, following a decisive intervention by President Anastasiades in coordination with the Prime Minister of Malta, stressed the need to take full account of the concerns of the EU island Member States in relation to the achievement of their energy efficiency and renewable energy targets, while further noting the need to integrate and improve the electrical interconnections of Member States, such as Cyprus, which continue to be isolated from the European grid.
