Commission raises climate ambition and proposes 55% cut in emissions by 2030
The European Commission presented its plan to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels. This level of ambition for the next decade will put the EU on a balanced pathway to reaching climate neutrality by 2050. The new target is based on a comprehensive Impact Assessment of the social, economic and environmental impacts. The Assessment demonstrates that this course of action is realistic and feasible. This raised ambition also underlines the EU's continued global leadership, ahead of the next UN climate conference (COP26).
The Commission has:
- tabled an amendment to the proposed European Climate Law, to include the 2030 emissions reduction target of at least 55% as a stepping stone to the 2050 climate neutrality goal;
- invited the Parliament and Council to confirm this 55% target as the EU's new Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement, and to submit this to the UNFCCC by the end of this year;
- set out the legislative proposals to be presented by June 2021 to implement the new target, including: revising and expanding the EU Emissions Trading System; adapting the Effort Sharing Regulation and the framework for land use emissions; reinforcing energy efficiency and renewable energy policies; and strengthening CO2 standards for road vehicles.
A new series of European standards addresses the material efficiency of energy-related products
The transition towards a Circular Economy is widely considered as a necessary step to address the challenges related to the creation of a more sustainable economy. European Standards (ENs) are essential complementing tools that support the implementation of EU legislation, as well as the climate and energy targets, by promoting best practices, improving energy efficiency, safety and providing tools to optimize installations and systems.
In the field of Ecodesign (2009/125/EC) and Energy Labelling (2017/1369/EU), CEN and CENELEC produce European Standards that provide dedicated methods for measuring the energy performance of various energy-related products against the compulsory values and thresholds laid down in the Regulations adopted by the European Commission.
The eight standards were published over the course of 2019 and 2020 by CEN-CENELEC Joint Technical Committee 10 on Energy-related products - Material Efficiency Aspects for Ecodesign (CEN-CLC/JTC 10), whose Secretariat is held by NEC, the Dutch Electrotechnical Committee. They are:
CEN (the European Committee for Standardization), CENELEC (the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization) and the European Co-operation for Accreditation (EA) officially renewed their cooperation Agreement.
The cooperation between CEN, CENELEC and the EA is long-standing: a first Cooperation Agreement was signed in January 2009, and was renewed for the first time in February 2016. This new renewal, for additional three years, allows to ensure the strength, consistency and continuity of the standardization and accreditation system, to the benefit of the New Legislative Framework (NLF).
As part of the agreement, which ensures the links between the European standardization system and the European Quality Infrastructure, CEN, CENELEC and EA agree to regularly exchange relevant information on matters of common interest and participating in the relevant advisory and technical groups of the respective organizations. For example, EA representatives actively participate in CEN and CENELEC activities, and in particular as a liaison partner to the Joint Technical Committee 1 on ‘Criteria for conformity assessment bodies’. In turn, CEN and CENELEC General Assemblies appointed Enda Mc Donnell, CEN Board Member and Director of Standards & Metrology National Standards Authority of Ireland (NSAI), as CEN-CENELEC Representative to the European Accreditation Advisory Board (EAAB).