"GFJ Commentary" introduces news analyses andopinions in Japan on the relations of Japan with the restof the world, but they do not represent the views of GFJ
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September 25, 2021

The European Green Deal and the Young Next
Generationby NAKANISHI Yumiko
On July 14, 2021, the European Commission published a comprehensive proposal
consisting of 12 measures to enhance the implementation of the European Green Deal(Delivering). Some of the proposals are well known as they have been in the news such as ade facto ban on the sale of new gasoline-powered cars, including hybrids, by 2035, and thegradual introduction of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to tax imports
from countries with lax environmental regulations. This short article will focus on theEuropean Green Deal in relation to the next generation of young people.
In December 2019, the European Green Deal (COM (2019) 640) was published under
the European Commission, chaired by Von der Leyen. The term of office for the European
Commission is five years. At the beginning of this term, the European Green Deal waspublished, setting a clear direction for the Commission. The European Green Deal is ablueprint-like document that shows the way forward, including proposals for new measuresand amendments to existing measures on environmental protection and digitalization, witha focus on climate change. The actual proposals for measures and amendments are presented
separately in a different document. As the term "European Green Deal" is often used, it hasa catch-phrase aspect. Initially, some people were skeptical that this would actually bepossible due to the EU budgetary restriction. However, in dealing with the Corona crisis, theEuropean Commission has found a way to overcome this difficulty. It is turning the Corona
crisis into an opportunity. At first, the vulnerability of the EU was conspicuous, as the EU
member states sealed their borders and stopped the free movement of goods and people,
which is the core of the internal market. Since then, however, the EU has begun to act in a
unified manner, with the EU negotiating vaccine purchases on behalf of the member states
and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), a subordinate agency, taking charge of vaccine
reviews. In addition, the European Commission proposed an EU recovery fund called "NextGeneration EU" as a recovery plan from the Corona crisis, which was agreed upon by theEuropean Parliament and the Council. This EU recovery fund is a EUR 750 billion debt of theEU. This fund will be repaid over a span of 30 years, from 2027 to 2058. The core of the fundis the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), which accounts for EUR 672.5 billion of theEUR 750 billion. The RRF will be used only for the following purposes: (a) green transition;(b) digital transition; (c) smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; (d) social and communitycohesion; (e) health, economic, social and institutional resilience; and (f) policies for the next
generation, children and youth. At least 37% of the total plan must be allocated to the green
transition (climate change-related investments and reforms), and at least 20% to the digitaltransition. This meant that the weakness of the European Green Deal issued in 2019, thefinancial problem, was solved. Member States hit hard by the Corona crisis, such as Italy andSpain, will receive non-repayable financial support (subsidies) through the recovery fund(available until 2023, with payments to be received by the end of 2026), and at least 37% of
the funds will be used for environmental protection. The EU recovery fund is named "NextGeneration EU" because it ensures beneficial environmental protection and digitalization for
the next generation, who will be responsible for the debt.
Let's take a look at the document "Fit for 55" (COM(2021)550) published by theEuropean Commission on July 14, 2021. The term "Fit for 55" comes from the idea of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions to at least 55% below 1990 levels by 2030. It is a proposal package
consisting of 12 measures to achieve this goal. For example, in addition to the automobile
regulations and the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) mentioned above, thepackage also includes measures to strengthen the European Union Emissions Trading
Scheme (EU ETS), revise the energy taxation directive, raise energy consumption reduction
targets, increase the share of renewable energy, set targets for carbon removal such as fromforests,

promotesustainableaviationfuels,

provideinfrastructure

forbattery

charging/hydrogen refueling, establish and gradually increase the cap on the CO2 content ofmaritime shipping fuels, and create a climate/social fund. These series of measures are
considered necessary to achieve the goals for the European Green Deal. Apart from thispackage, proposals for individual measures and amendments were released by the European
Commission on the same day, July 14 (together these documents are massive in volume),
and will need to be adopted by the European Parliament and Council in order to become
effective. The first document from the Commission states that we are at a critical juncture in
the world's response to the urgency of climate and biodiversity, and that we are the lastgeneration that can manage to act in time. It also states that if we do not act now, future
generations will be exposed to more extreme weather events. Addressing these crises is amatter of intergenerational and international solidarity, and what we achieve in the next
decade will be decisive for the future of our children, it said. In addition, the Commission
states in the same document that strengthening climate action is an appeal from young
people, including today's teenagers. The Commission also takes seriously that young people,
as agents of change, are calling on their governments and the EU to act decisively and to2

protect the climate and environment for future generations without delay.
In Europe, there have been demonstrations by young people and a number ofclimate change lawsuits (climate change litigation). NGOs representing the interests ofyoung people and future generations, including teenagers, have become plaintiffs inlawsuits against the state or large corporations. As a result, they have won cases in theNetherlands, France and Germany. In addition, there are currently cases pending before theEuropean Court of Human Rights against several states by young people in Portugal. The"Fit for 55" document is a policy document that will help the European Commission to take
into account the aspirations of these young people and ensure that the European Green Deal
becomes a reality. The "Fit for 55" document was released only about a year and a half afterthe European Green Deal document was released. A number of measures have been adopted
or amended as a result of the "European Green Deal", and more will be adopted and existingmeasures amended. The Commission's seriousness about the "European Green Deal" (that itwill not lead to end up being just a policy document) can be seen in the large number ofconcrete proposals.
(This is an English translation of the article written by NAKANISHI Yumiko, Professor,
Hitotsubashi University, which originally appeared on the e-forum “Giron-Hyakushutsu(Hundred Views in Full Perspective)” of GFJ on July 31, 2021.)

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