EP Plenary session - Joint debate - Gas emissions

Press conference on the reform of the electricity market design

MEPs call on the EU to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine and accelerate the phase-out of Moscow’s energy. In the second debate with representatives of the European Commission, MEPs are set to call on the EU to accelerate the phase-out of Russian gas and other Russian energy commodities. Closing statements by Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing. Closing statements by Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing

Accelerating the phase-out of Russian gas and other Russian energy commodities in the EU: closing statements by Dan JØRGENSEN, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy crisis and high inflation across Europe. The European Parliament wants to ensure the EU is resilient enough to face other crises in the future. That’s why it is supporting bold, visionary projects to make our economies and societies stronger.

Erik helped Swedish companies Amokabel and Bennesveds Åkeri set up the country’s first self-sufficient hydrogen station: Uppvidinge Vätgas. It provides clean fuel produced using local wind power. 

In Ireland, Hannah is a carbon specialist with Bord na Móna, a company that went from extracting peat for fuel to becoming a leader in clean energy production. She’s helping to rehabilitate the country’s peatlands, which can store huge amounts of carbon, helping the EU meet its climate goals.
 
Initiatives like these, funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, are at the heart of a stronger, more responsive Europe.

Building EU's economy of the future: meet Erik and Hannah - 9:16

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sparked an energy crisis and high inflation across Europe. The European Parliament wants to ensure the EU is resilient enough to face other crises in the future. That’s why it is supporting bold, visionary projects to make our economies and societies stronger.

Erik helped Swedish companies Amokabel and Bennesveds Åkeri set up the country’s first self-sufficient hydrogen station: Uppvidinge Vätgas. It provides clean fuel produced using local wind power. 

In Ireland, Hannah is a carbon specialist with Bord na Móna, a company that went from extracting peat for fuel to becoming a leader in clean energy production. She’s helping to rehabilitate the country’s peatlands, which can store huge amounts of carbon, helping the EU meet its climate goals.

Initiatives like these, funded by the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, are at the heart of a stronger, more responsive Europe.

Building EU's economy of the future: meet Erik and Hannah

The "Energy Cells" is a project that consists of a system of four energy storage devices (batteries) with a total capacity of 200 megawatts (MW) and 200 megawatt-hours (MWh) into Lithuania’s energy system. Energy Cells has four 50 MW and 50 MWh energy storage facilities at transformer substations in Vilnius, Šiauliai, Alytus, and Utena. It is currently the largest project in the Baltics and one of the largest of its kind in Europe. Energy Cells received 87.6 million euros from the NextGenerationEU, the Recovery and Resilience Facility under the “New Generation Lithuania” plan for the installation of the energy storage system. The total value of the project, which will provide Lithuania with the instantaneous power reserve and the possibility to operate autonomously in isolated mode, is of 109 million euros.

Infoclip: Integrated system for batteries "Energy Cells" - Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - Vilnius (Lithuania)

Rising demand and geopolitical tensions can complicate access to resources vital for technology and industry.             
The European Parliament has approved a new law to help secure supplies of raw materials needed for smartphones, electric vehicles, solar panels and more.        
         
The Critical Raw Materials Act will boost the EU’s strategic autonomy, create jobs and drive the green and digital transitions.      
            
Find out more in our short explainer video.     

Securing critical raw materials for the EU’s digital and green transitions  

The environment and climate change, cost-of-living crisis, migration, Russia’s war on Ukraine, EU enlargement…  

Members of the European Parliament questioned Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the final State of the Union debate before the 2024 European elections.  
 
Has the von der Leyen Commission done enough this past year? And how will it deliver for EU citizens in the coming months? 

Watch this video to learn more on how Parliament scrutinised the Commission’s track-record and programme before next year's vote.

State of the EU: MEPs press Commission President ahead of elections

The European Parliament has passed new rules to make it easier to top up green vehicles.      
      
The EU wants to help create a network of electric recharging and hydrogen refuelling points that are as practical and accessible as petrol stations.      
      
Meanwhile, airports and big ports will have to provide electricity to planes and ships.     
      
The rules are part of Fit for 55 measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and build a carbon-neutral EU.

Expanding the EU’s alternative fuels infrastructure

Phones, computers, electric cars… they all use batteries. And demand is increasing rapidly.    
 
The European Parliament has approved new rules to reduce the impact on the environment, ensuring minimum standards for recycling batteries and their component materials.

Circular economy: getting more life from batteries

What is ‘carbon leakage’ and how will the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism tackle it? 
Industries in the EU face strict limits on the CO2 emissions they produce. To get around these rules, companies may move production to non-EU countries with weaker regulations. 
The European Parliament has approved new rules to encourage responsible behaviour by EU companies and discourage the import of cheap carbon-intensive products made in non-EU countries.
Find out more in our short Q&A.

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism explained

The 'polluter pays' principle is at the heart of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS).     
   
In April 2023, the European Parliament passed ambitious laws to update the ETS and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.   
   
The new system will make sure more industries pay for their emissions and encourage greater investment in green technology.     
   
The revised ETS is part of the EU’s Fit for 55 laws to tackle the climate crisis.     
       
Find out more in our short, animated Q&A

The updated Emissions Trading System explained

The EU wants to make sure that zero-emission cars and vans are the norm by 2050.   
    
The European Parliament has taken action, pushing to phase out fossil-fueled vehicles and replace them with greener models.    
    
Discover how in our short Q&A animation.

Cutting CO2 emissions with cleaner cars: new EU rules

What if you could easily get from home to work using two different bikes and a train? What if such a trip was simple and hassle-free? This is already a reality in the Netherlands with train-bike schemes at many railway stations. The European Parliament is calling for the rollout of an EU Cycling Strategy to encourage more people to use this healthy, quiet and carbon neutral mode of transport.

Towards an EU Cycling Strategy

MEPs are due to finalise measures to speed the green transition and ensure the EU becomes carbon-neutral by 2050.  
 
Europe’s climate goals will be high on Parliament’s agenda in the first half of 2023, with members set to sign off on a ban on polluting vehicles and a tougher emissions trading system.   
 
New rules to boost green fuels and increase energy efficiency will be put to the vote. 
  
Parliament is also set to decide on a common framework for AI technology alongside measures to ensure the digital sector is fairer and safer for all.

Climate goals, AI and the digital economy – coming up in Parliament in 2023

Parliament will award the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought to the brave People of Ukraine for their fight for freedom and democracy. 
 
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address MEPs via video link and members of Ukraine’s State Emergency Services, civil society as well as elected leaders will receive the award at the ceremony in Strasbourg in the name of the People of Ukraine. 
 
MEPs will vote on proposals to speed up issuing renewable energy project permits and reducing the energy consumption of buildings. Both steps will help the green transition and boost energy independence. 
 
Parliament is also expected to call for more robust rules to support people with disabilities. All that and more, coming up in Parliament.

Sakharov Prize, green energy permits, disabilities – coming up in Parliament

Citizens who were at the core of the Conference on the Future of Europe's work came to Brussels to check how the EU institutions are following up on their recommendations for change.     

A unique exercise in participatory democracy, the Conference wrapped up in May 2022, delivering dozens of proposals to make sure Europe can deal with upcoming challenges. 
    
The Parliament, the Council and the Commission had promised since the beginning to follow up on its final proposals, whatever those may be. 

On 2 December, representatives from the three institutions took questions from citizens at a feedback event in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Future of EU: citizens ask the institutions how they will follow-up on their recommendations

Parliament wants the EU budget to become less dependent on national contributions. New so-called 'own resources' are an essential way for the EU to finance key programmes, like the recovery plan 'NextGenerationEU'.

Funding the EU budget: ‘Bringing back social and fiscal justice’

Parliament is set to mark its 70 years at the heart of European democracy at a special ceremony.   
    
Members will vote on new rules to better protect the EU’s critical infrastructure from external threats. The sectors covered include energy, water management, healthcare, finance, public administration and even space.  
   
Parliament will finalise new rules aiming to raise the proportion of women in non-executive positions in the EU’s biggest companies.  
    
MEPs will also vote on the 2023 EU budget and on a resolution calling on the EU to designate Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. All that and more, coming up in Strasbourg.

Parliament at 70, gender equality and budget – coming up in Parliament

The European Parliament is celebrating its third annual Gender Equality Week. Parliament is committed to a fairer, more equal society. 
 
Gender equality lies at the heart of its work, across the policy agenda: from energy and the green transition, to trade and employment, to promoting fairness inside and outside EU institutions.

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