European Parliament declares Climate Emergency (EU)

Ahead of the UN COP25 Climate Change Conference in Madrid 2-13 December, the European Parliament has today approved a resolution declaring a climate and environmental emergency in Europe and globally.

The adopted resolution will be available here.

The European Parliament also wants the European Commission to ensure that all relevant legislative and budgetary proposals are fully aligned with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5 °C.

In a separate resolution, the European Parliament urges the EU to submit its strategy to reach climate neutrality as soon as possible, and by 2050 at the latest, to the UN Convention on Climate Change. This adopted resolution will be available via the above link.

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) also call on the new European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to include a 55% reduction target of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in the European Green Deal.

In addition, MEPs say that all countries should include emissions from international shipping and aviation in their national contributions plans (NDCs), and they urge the European Commission to propose that the maritime sector be included in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EUETS).

Note – the European Commission has already proposed the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, but the European Council has not endorsed it as some Member States are opposed.

Long-term Strategy on Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction (Ireland)

Article 15 of the European Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action requires each Member State to prepare and submit to the Commission a long-term strategy for greenhouse gas emissions reduction with a perspective of at least 30 years.

Ireland has already established a detailed decarbonisation pathway to 2030 in its Climate Action Plan 2019. This will be reflected in Ireland’s final national energy and climate plan (NECP).

As part of the NECP consultation process, the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment sought views on decarbonising beyond 2030.

The Climate Action Plan 2019 puts in place a decarbonisation pathway to 2030 which would be consistent with the adoption of a net zero target in Ireland by 2050. Action 1 under the Plan has also committed to evaluating in detail the changes required to adopt a more ambitious commitment of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, as part of finalising Ireland’s long-term climate strategy by the end of 2019 as per the advice of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the recommendation of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action.

The Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment is now seeking further views in relation to decarbonisation pathways beyond 2030, including transition options across all key sectors of the economy (energy, buildings, transport, enterprise, waste, agriculture and land-use), on the role of innovative technologies and on socio-economic factors.

Link to Long-term Strategy Consultation Document – here.

Page 5 sets out the ways in which a response may be made. The deadline is 16th December 2019.

Class Action in Consumer Protection (EU Law)

The Council of the EU today reached agreement on a draft directive on representative actions for the protection of the collective interests of consumers.

The draft directive is here.

The directive empowers qualified entities, such as consumer organisations, to seek, in addition to injunctions, also redress measures, including compensation or replacement, on behalf of a group of consumers that has been harmed by a trader in violation of one of the EU legal acts set out in an annex to the directive. These legal acts reflect recent developments in the field of consumer protection and extend to areas such as financial services, travel and tourism, energy, telecommunications and data protection, in addition to general consumer law.

Member states shall, for the purpose of representative actions for redress, be free to choose between an opt-in and an opt-out system. In an opt-in system, consumers will be required to express their wish to be represented by the qualified entity for the purpose of a particular representative action. In an opt-out system, consumers who do not wish to be represented by the qualified entity for the purpose of a particular representative action will be required to make a statement to that effect.

Member states will have 30 months from the entry into force of the directive to transpose it into national law, as well as an additional 12 months to start applying these provisions.

The directive will apply to representative actions brought after the date of application.

On the basis of the agreed text, the Council will start negotiations with the European Parliament with a view to exploring the possibility of an agreement for the swift adoption of the directive at second reading (“early second reading agreement”).

New European Commission (EU)

EU Commission President-Elect Ursula von der Leyen’s new Commission has been approved by a large majority of MEPs (elected Members to the European Parliament).

461 votes in favour, 157 against, 89 abstentions.

Accordingly, the European Parliament has approved the new College of Commissioners led by Ursula von der Leyen (the Commissioners and herself, it’s a confirmatory vote). Now the European Council has to give its approval by a qualified majority before the new Commission takes office on the 1st December.

More than 200,000,000 citizens voted in the European elections in May, giving a substantive mandate to the new European Parliament. The elections were the first step in a process that culminates with the approval today of the EU’s executive body, the European Commission.

The new Commission will take office on 1st December.

We can expect EU Law making to be up and running again shortly.

Ireland’s Phil Hogan is the Trade Commissioner (he will deal with the Trade Deal with the UK, when that time comes). The UK did not supply a Commissioner.