6.4.2022
EN
Official Journal of the European Union
C 152/175
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on ‘Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union, Decision (EU) 2015/1814 concerning the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme and Regulation (EU) 2015/757’ (COM(2021) 551 final — 2021/0211 (COD)) ‘Proposal for a Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Decision (EU) 2015/1814 as regards the amount of allowances to be placed in the market stability reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission trading scheme until 2030’ (COM(2021) 571 final — 2021/0202 (COD)) (2022/C 152/29)
Rapporteur: Stefan BACK
Referral
European Parliament, 13.9.2021 Council, 20.9.2021
Legal basis
Article 192(1) and Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Section responsible
Section for Agriculture, Rural Development and the Environment
Adopted in section
25.11.2021
Adopted at plenary
8.12.2021
Plenary session No
565
Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions)
219/3/13
1.
Conclusions and recommendations 1.1.
The EESC welcomes the ambition to accelerate and raise the reduction of CO2 emission in order to comply with the objectives set in the European Climate Law and the European Green Deal and fully supports the overarching objective of a 55 % CO2 reduction by 2030 and a carbon neutral economy by 2050.
1.2.
The EESC is supportive of the proposed measures and for that reason also sees it as extremely important that the problems inherent in the envisaged transition are addressed and resolved in an adequate manner.
This, in our opinion, is a fundamental condition for success.
1.3.
It is therefore important that the potentially negative effects of the proposed measures on the competitiveness of European industry and service providers, both in carbon intensive sectors and in general, are analysed very carefully and measures are taken in order to prevent, as far as possible, negative effects on the economy and negative social effects such as unemployment, energy poverty or mobility poverty.
1.4.
The EESC takes note that the resources available for upskilling and reskilling and for the solution of negative social effects following from the ETS proposal will depend on the fate of proposals still pending before the co-legislators, including the creation of a Social Climate Fund.
The EESC, while approving these proposals as such, still questions whether the resources available will be sufficient even if the financing proposals were approved without significant amendments.
1.5.
It is also necessary to consider the way climate issues are dealt with worldwide and to avoid divergences that may put European business at a disadvantage.
The EESC refers in this connection to its opinion on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), among others.