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Oct 25, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Malte Ketelsen
On 29 June 2023, the EU Regulation on deforestation-free products entered into force. The main driver of the Regulation is the expansion of agricultural land that is linked to the production of commodities like soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee, rubber and some of their derived products.
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Oct 25, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Malte Ketelsen
New genomic techniques (NGTs) and their products have been rapidly developing in the last 20 years in many parts of the world, with some applications already on the market of some EU trade partners. On 5 July 2023, the European Commission adopted a proposal for a new Regulation on plants produced by certain new genomic techniques, as part of a package of legislative proposals to support the EU’s Farm to Fork and Biodiversity strategies.
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Sep 25, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
District heating networks – hot water pipes running below the ground – supply millions of homes in cities across Europe, representing about 10% of the EU’s heat market. Recent global events, such as the ongoing war in Ukraine, have put the spotlight on the importance of the security of heat supply for those networks, and the importance of investments needed in the sector in order to meet EU climate goals.
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Sep 21, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Jennifer Baker |Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
In 2022, the European Commission put forward a proposal for a directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, aimed at creating more responsible corporate behaviour throughout global value chains. The Commission argues that these new rules will bring certainty and a level playing field for the business sector, while there will be more transparency for consumers and investors.
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Sep 20, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
In March 2023, the European Commission put forward its Recommendation on Energy Storage, underpinning a decarbonised and secure EU energy system. As Europe strives to integrate weather dependent energy sources, the role of energy storage solutions becomes important in maintaining grid stability and meeting energy demand efficiently. Energy storage is a crucial component of Europe’s transition to a sustainable energy future.
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Sep 20, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Jennifer Baker |Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
In 2023, the European Commission proposed initiatives like the Gigabit Infrastructure Act, Public Consultation on Future Networks and Business Models for Electronic Communications, and the Call for Evidence on Virtual Worlds. These initiatives aim to improve connectivity policy frameworks and enhance services in Europe.
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Sep 19, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Frédéric Simon |Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
Hydrogen will play a key role in Europe’s transition to a sustainable and decarbonised future. It has great potential to provide flexibility and achieve energy system integration whilst supporting the decarbonisation of energy, industry and mobility. The EU Hydrogen Strategy, complemented by the REPowerEU plan, sets goals to import and produce millions of tons of hydrogen by 2030.
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Sep 19, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Jennifer Baker |Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
The year 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive global infrastructure and development project initiated by the Chinese government. Over the past decade, the BRI has reshaped the global economic and geopolitical landscape, fostering connectivity, trade, and cooperation among nations. Connectivity and infrastructure development has been enhanced across continents.
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Sep 8, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Dave Keating |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
Despite numerous initiatives to curb methane emissions, concentrations continue to rise, posing the greatest threat to passing irreversible climate tipping points. In the face of ever-rising temperatures and worsening impacts of climate change, swift and bold leadership to reduce global methane emissions remains the most urgent low hanging fruit available to policymakers. The passage of the EU’s first bloc-wide legislation on methane emissions is underway.
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Sep 5, 2023 | 
euractiv.com | Dave Keating |Bogna Wiech |Malte Ketelsen |Zoran Popovici
When one considers the future of transport, typically it is assumed to be simple extrapolation and evolution of existing technologies. On the one hand – it’s about spreading its range (i.e. construction of further High-speed rail lines), on the other – it’s about continuous improvements that allow to reach better operational parameters and reliability while reducing unit variable costs (i.e. decreased usage of energy per passenger km).
