Ukraine and Moldova are candidates for E • Table.Briefings

Dear reader,

Ukraine and Moldova became official candidates for membership in the European Union yesterday. This is a – albeit expected – bang for the buck and an “historic decision,” as was said several times at the EU summit in Brussels. and what about the Western Balkans? At the preceding informal meeting of the heads of state and government of the EU countries and the countries of the Western Balkans, there was mostly frustration, report Eric Bonse and Stephan Israel.

The end for combustion cars was almost here in Germany, but the FDP changed its mind. It contradicts the spirit of the coalition agreement, said party leader Christian Lindner. At the EU level, this change of heart is causing a few things to shake up. On Tuesday, the Environment Council will vote on the Commission’s proposal. My colleague Lukas Scheid has analyzed the situation.

Once again, there is upheaval in Italy’s politics: Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s foreign minister, has left the M5S party along with 60 parliamentary representatives to form the new Insieme per el futuro (Together for the Future) parliamentary group. Isabel Cuesta Camacho reports on the reasons and implications for Italy’s domestic politics.

In her column, Claire Stam takes a glance at the upcoming final days of the French presidency. The energy and environment ministers want to reach a whole series of compromises at the meeting at the end of the month. Perhaps Emmanuel Macron will succeed after all in what he set out to do six months ago with a great deal of self-confidence.

I wish you an exciting read and a nice weekend.

Your
Lisa-Martina Klein

“Historic decisions” in favor of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia

As expected, the European Council has accepted Ukraine into the exclusive circle of accession candidates. Moldova was also unanimously granted candidate status at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. Both countries are thus in line with Turkey as well as Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

For the time being, Georgia must be content with the smaller step of the “European perspective,” i.e., the prospect of candidate status at a later date. In the Western Balkans, on the other hand, there was no tangible progress. The opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz had advocated during a trip to the Balkans, remains blocked because of the veto from Bulgaria.

Nevertheless, the Western Balkans summit convened by EU Council President Charles Michel in the morning had not been in vain, said Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The summit had brought about a “paradigm shift.” After three and a half hours of intensive debate, it was agreed that Bosnia-Herzegovina needed a European perspective just as much as Georgia.

The unusually long debate meant that the eagerly awaited decision on Ukraine was not made until the evening. It wasn’t until 8:30 p.m. that the time finally came. “27 times yes!” wrote Scholz on Twitter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was tuned in via video, spoke of a “historic moment.” “The future of Ukraine lies in the EU,” Zelensky wrote.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “good day for Europe”, and Council President Charles Michel also called the decision “historic”. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, was delighted: at the beginning of the EU summit, she had made a fiery plea for enlargement to the east. Metsola was the first EU politician to travel to Kyiv in April.

EU also needs reforms

Nehammer was more reserved. Candidate status does not yet mean the start of accession negotiations, he said on Thursday evening after the summit decision: “There are still many steps to be taken.” The EU also still needs reforms to become receptive, he added. Chancellor Scholz had already expressed similar views before the beginning of the summit.

Anyhow, it is unclear what steps will come next. The conclusions only outline the next steps. Accordingly, the EU Commission is to review whether Ukraine and Moldova have implemented the reforms listed in the Commission reports presented a week ago – for example, to combat corruption. Only when all conditions have been met in full will the Council decide on the next steps.

Opening accession negotiations requires the renewed unanimous consent of all 27 member states. This is considered a major hurdle, which many EU candidates have taken several years to clear. Given Ukraine’s situation, however, it could be quicker. The unusual speed already with the application for membership is due to “the geopolitical situation,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who stood on the brakes for a long time.

Without the Russian invasion, as Rutte’s words can be interpreted, Kyiv could have waited a long time for the green light. In view of the war, however, the EU now wants to move quickly. In addition to further arms purchases from the European Peace Facility, generous funding for reconstruction is also planned. Ukraine needs a “Marshall Plan,” Scholz had said in his government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday.

Discussions are “intense and fruitful”

However, financing is still unclear. It is likely to keep the EU busy in the coming weeks and months. The Western Balkans could also keep the EU on its toes. Rutte expressed optimism that the Bulgarian blockade will end soon. “There is a 50 to 60 percent chance that there can be a breakthrough next week,” he said. Bulgaria is working hard to find a solution, he added.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov asked for understanding, referring to the domestic political turmoil. But he also pointed out that the Bulgarian parliament would make a decision on North Macedonia “very soon.” According to unconfirmed reports, this could be as early as Friday.

Optimists had originally hoped that the decision could be made in Sofia in time for the Western Balkans summit. President Emmanuel Macron, in his role as current EU Council president, had mediated between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Yet, it was not enough in the end. In the evening, EU Council President Charles Michel described the discussion at the Western Balkans summit as “intense and fruitful.” A press conference originally planned for noon was canceled by the summit host at short notice.

For this, the leaders of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia appeared at an impromptu press conference on their own initiative. The day was historic, but in a negative sense, said Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama. Bulgaria was “a disgrace,” but it was not only Bulgaria’s disgrace. Indeed, Greece had previously blocked talks with Skopje for years until the country changed its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia. The enlargement process is “broken,” not much left of the common vision, Edi Rama said. Instead, individual EU states were acting as “hostage-takers,” thus rendering the EU “impotent.”

Frustration is also running high in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani criticized the fact that her countrymen are the only ones waiting for visa-free travel. Kosovo had fulfilled all conditions. France and the Netherlands had blocked this action but recently signaled flexibility. The decision on the status of Ukraine and Moldova as well as the European perspective for Georgia was delayed because of a discussion about Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Macron’s idea gains approval

Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria urged that Bosnia also be given a clear road map toward candidate country status. The conclusions call on Bosnia to urgently implement constitutional and electoral reform as set out in a June 12 political agreement. The European Council said it was ready to grant Bosnia candidate country status and called on the Commission to report “without delay” on the implementation of 14 priorities.

At the working dinner in the evening, the heads of state and government discussed President Macron’s idea of a European Political Community (EPC) under the title “Wider Europe.” The concept is no longer controversial and the Balkan countries have also shown interest, diplomats said. The concept was not meant to replace the enlargement process, but to complement it, they said. Macron had been able to dispel corresponding fears among the candidate countries as well, they said. The task now is to flesh out the proposal and avoid overlaps with existing organizations.

The European Political Community (EPC) would also not compete with the Council of Europe, NATO or the OSCE with their very specific focus. Twice-yearly meetings are conceivable, as during the pandemic, to discuss health issues, infrastructure questions or other topics of geopolitical importance. The summit could mandate the EU Commission or the upcoming Czech Council presidency to further develop the concept.

The forum could offer immediate added value to the candidate countries, but could also be open to ex-member Britain or Switzerland. Not all countries in Europe could “move into the same house” but shared the same neighborhood and the same streets, Macron let slip his skepticism about borderless enlargement, even on the day of the clear yeses to Ukraine and Moldova. The EU should not undermine its “strategic intimacy.” with Stephan Israel

Europe looks to Berlin for the phasing out of the internal combustion engine

In the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), the oath is being sworn today: the German government is to define its position on the phasing out of internal combustion engines in 2035 in the circle of EU ambassadors, thus enabling the French Council Presidency to prepare adequately for the Environment Council next Tuesday. There, the member states want to define their general direction. A qualified majority requires at least 15 of the 27 member states, which also account for at least 65 percent of the EU’s total population.

Currently, the signs from Berlin are pointing to abstention due to the opposition of the FDP, which could also have an influence on other member states. It is therefore a matter of great concern that the German position will change, according to circles in the French government. Paris largely supports the EU Commission’s proposed 2035 phase-out of internal combustion vehicles, but President Emmanuel Macron is proposing an exemption for hybrid cars until 2040.

Countries such as Spain, Poland, and France are interested in what Germany, as Europe’s largest automaker, has to say on the subject, explains Alex Keynes, Clean Vehicles Manager at the environmental organization T&E. Many would look to Berlin before deciding their own position. For Keynes, phasing out the internal combustion engine is the “absolute minimum” to achieve EU climate targets. Therefore, other countries should also vote for the text independently of Germany, he proposes.

Currently, according to information from Europe.Table, in addition to Germany, Italy and Spain are also wobbly candidates for acceptance of the Commission’s proposal, as is France itself because of the required exemption for hybrids. Four countries without which there will be no agreement, as they alone account for well over half of the EU population. Germany therefore has an extraordinary role to play in the Environment Council.

Dispute over reading of the coalition agreement

And yet the coalition agreement of the “Ampel” government is actually quite clear on this matter: “in the negotiations on the EU program ‘Fit for 55’, we support the proposals of the EU Commission,” it says. The tightening of CO2 fleet limits for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles is part of this program. The Commission’s proposal: from 2035, only zero-emission new vehicles may be registered by raising the fleet limits, which give car manufacturers CO2 reduction targets for their new vehicle fleets, to 100 percent from that date. Due to the measurement of CO2 emissions at the tailpipe, this would mean a de facto end to combustion.

Germany’s long-standing resistance at the EU level to strict limit values seemed to have been broken in view of such formulations. However, after the EU Parliament also spoke out in favor of phasing out internal combustion vehicles in 2035 two weeks ago, thus clearing the way for trialogue negotiations with the member states, a somewhat diffuse resistance arose from the FDP.

Lindner calls for abstention

Party leader and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner explained that phasing out internal combustion engines contradicted the spirit of the coalition agreement. Instead, he said, they want “a future option for climate-friendly liquid fuels” – also known as e-fuels. Most recently, he and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing announced their intention to reject the 2035 phase-out of internal combustion engines. This means that at the meeting of the environment ministers of the 27 member states next Tuesday, when the Council defines its position on tightening fleet limits, Germany will not agree to the Commission’s proposal and will abstain instead.

However, the Green Minister for the Environment, Steffi Lemke, will be there on Tuesday in Luxembourg, and there is no doubt in her house about the reading of the coalition agreement: the end of combustion engines in 2035. This position has also been confirmed several times in recent months within the German government, including by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport, as can be seen from documents of the Ministry of the Environment, which is responsible for the dossier.

E-fuels merely “outside the fleet limits”

Lindner rejects criticism that the FDP is moving away from internal coalition agreements. “In our eyes, the stipulation of the traffic light coalition agreement, according to which e-fuels are to remain an option, is also not fulfilled,” he said yesterday. It is true that the coalition agreement states that they are committed to ensuring that vehicles that can only be fueled with e-fuels can continue to be registered. However, it explicitly states “outside the existing system of fleet limits.” It is therefore not clear to what extent Christian Lindner does not see the coalition agreement being fulfilled by the phasing out of internal combustion vehicles in 2035.

The Ministry of the Environment, on the other hand, says that the German government will only support e-fuels in road transport if they are used in vehicles for which no fleet limits apply. These could be tractors or construction vehicles, for example, for which there are currently no adequate decarbonization options other than synthetic fuels.

Lemke optimistic, Lindner sets condition

Federal Environment Minister Lemke nevertheless expressed optimism yesterday “that we will find a good regulation and stick to the line of support for the Fit for 55 package that has been decided so far.” Lindner made “substantial changes to the legal texts” by the Commission a condition for this.

However, his claim to be “a future option for climate-friendly liquid fuels” is highly controversial. E-fuels based on green hydrogen are much more expensive than fossil fuels. Nor is it to be expected that the particularly energy-intensive synthetic fuel, of all things, will become established without subsidies, unlike other new energy sources.

Whoever asks the FDP about a funding concept for the market launch receives only evasive answers. “We are counting on the approval of synthetic fuels in their pure form, which could be made possible quickly and free of charge. In the coalition agreement, we have already agreed to implement the amended Renewable Energies Directive as openly and ambitiously as possible in terms of technology once it has been adopted,” says Carina Konrad, the deputy parliamentary group leader responsible for the environment and transport.

E-fuels planned for aircraft and ships

However, the Renewable Energies Directive in particular only provides for e-fuels in homeopathic doses. The Commission originally wanted to introduce a quota of 2.6 percent by 2030 in the current amendment in the transport sector. With the accelerated expansion of renewables as part of REPowerEU, it believes it will be able to increase the quota to 5.7 percent. However, this is not the quota for passenger car fuels alone, but for all modes of transport.

The lion’s share is likely to be used for aircraft and ships. In any case, institutions such as Agora Verkehrswende remind us that synthetic gasoline and diesel will in the future be co-products of the production of synthetic aviation fuels. In the long term, they would be available to supply the remaining passenger car fleet.

However, the Commission is convinced that the vast majority of e-fuels will continue to be needed in the industrial sector. The Renewable Energies Directive wants to stipulate a 50 percent share of hydrogen consumption in industry. Through REPowerEU, the Commission now considers 78 percent feasible by 2030. With Manuel Berkel and Claire Stam

Turmoil in Italy’s politics: Foreign Minister leaves 5-Star Movement

Italian politics is once again showing its propensity for turbulence. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio resigned from his party, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), on Tuesday. Di Maio is leaving his party after a weeks-long dispute with Giuseppe Conte over Italy’s military support for Ukraine. The ambiguous stance of some Five Star Movement leaders on arms sales to Ukraine has hurt Italy in recent months, Di Maio says. He called it irresponsible for his party to abandon the country and question the unity of Mario Draghi’s government in order to win back lost voter support. “This war is not a media spectacle, it is real and its victims are real,” Di Maio said.

Giuseppe Conte, former prime minister and leader of the M5S since August 2021, had repeatedly called for refraining from further arms deliveries to Ukraine and instead intensifying diplomatic peace efforts. The governing parties endorsed Draghi’s policy of military aid to Ukraine by a clear majority in parliament this week, leaving Conte’s position in the minority.

The official reason for the rift is that a group of M5E senators had prepared a draft resolution to urge Draghi’s executive on Tuesday to stop supplying weapons to the Ukrainians. The document was not finalized at the Senate briefing Draghi attended Tuesday. Di Maio, however, took the opportunity to accuse the party of distancing itself from EU and NATO values. Di Maio’s departure from his party can also be seen as a strategic move to prepare for the next election campaign . The M5S statutes stipulate that the term of office for political representatives is limited to two legislative periods. This means that the 35-year-old Di Maio could not run again in the next parliamentary elections in spring 2023.

Matteo Salvini’s Lega now the strongest force

Di Maio acted quickly and, after his party’s resignation, has already formed the new Insieme per el futuro (Together for the Future) parliamentary group with at least 60 of the 5-Star Movement’s 227 deputies. This new faction now projects itself as pro-European, institutional, and moderate, in stark contrast to the populist ideals that had won Di Maio an electoral victory alongside the M5S in the last elections. Chamber president and M5S party member Roberto Fico was quoted in the Italian media as saying, “Minister Di Maio’s resignation is instrumental, it is political opportunism.”

Until this week, the 5-Star Movement was the majority partner in the Mario Draghi led unity coalition. With Di Maio’s split and the decline of M5S deputies, Matteo Salvini’s Lega Nord becomes the leading parliamentary force. In the Chamber, the seats of the deputies changed as follows after Di Maio’s move: Conte’s Five Star Movement now has only 105 deputies (it had 227 at the beginning of the legislature), while the Lega has 132. According to La Repubblica newspaper, the M5S in the Senate will shrink from 72 to 61 deputies, the same size as the Lega faction, if the announcements are confirmed.

The near end of an anti-establishment party

The popularity of Five Star had plummeted in recent years as it struggled to transform itself from a protest movement to a governing party. As various Italian media outlets have reported, polls show that the party now has the support of less than 15 percent of voters – down from nearly 33 percent in 2018 – and has lost control of many key city councils in local elections. In reality, the implosion of the M5S closes a chapter marked by the rise of a party born of citizen discontent.

M5S leader Conte has commented on Di Maio’s departure from the party, saying that the governing coalition is not in danger, according to Italian media reports. “We will support the executive branch as long as we can fight our battles within the political framework,” Conte said. Commenting on the fact that many former M5S members have joined Di Maio’s new parliamentary group, Together for the Future, Conte noted, “Even if the movement is no longer the first political force in Parliament, it will always remain the first political force dealing with social justice, ecological change, digitalization, common goods…. all issues that are the main reason for our service in politics.” The political turmoil in his country will accompany Prime Minister Mario Draghi this week at the European summit and next week at the NATO meeting in Madrid, to which Ukrainian President Zelensky is invited.

Habeck calls on EU partners to save gas

The German government on Thursday combined the declaration of a national gas alert with an appeal to other EU states. “European neighbors should do everything possible for them to also bring down gas consumption and keep their storage levels high,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said in Berlin. “This is also a signal of today to Europe that at least the German federal government and I in person think we have to do even better.”

The background to this are calculations by the German Federal Network Agency, which were also published on Thursday. According to these, a sustained curtailment of Russian gas flows through Nord Stream 1 would have a striking impact on European supply security as a whole.

“Even if supplies through Nordstream 1 remain at the 40 percent level on a continuous basis, the storage filling to 90 percent by December 1 envisaged in the Gas Storage Act is only possible if it is assumed that intra-European gas deliveries will no longer be made in full and it is assumed that gas consumption this winter will be 20 percent below normal levels,” the BMWK wrote in a press release. “However, it is thus crucial, even in the current status quo, to significantly reduce domestic gas consumption in order to ensure our own security of supply as well as the security of supply of our neighboring countries.”

Parliament votes in favor of storage regulation

Habeck stressed that he would stick to European solidarity. Germany is dependent on European gas transit and the use of LNG terminals in other EU states, he said. “So, conversely, we are of course also obliged to make what we have available to our European neighbors.”

According to a spokesman for the EU Commission, twelve member states are currently affected by supply cuts by Russia. However, exchange with national authorities had shown that security of supply in the EU was currently guaranteed, he said. EU energy ministers would discuss possible measures to reduce gas demand and step up preparations for a tightening situation at their meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

Yesterday, the plenum of the EU Parliament also voted in favor of the new gas storage regulation, which prescribes certain fill levels for fall and winter for all member states. It now has to be approved by the Council.

Additional gas Norway wants to supply to EU countries. “There is great potential to increase sales to Europe in 2022, which would bring nearly 100 TWh of additional energy to the European market,” said a joint statement released after a meeting between Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson with Norway’s Energy Minister Terje Aasland. ber/rtr

Traffic light coalition wants to push CETA agreement through Bundestag

Ratification by Germany of the Ceta trade agreement between the European Union and Canada, which entered into force provisionally almost five years ago, is drawing closer. The SPD, Greens, and FDP parties agreed on Thursday to introduce the ratification bill in the cabinet before the summer break and then have the first referral in the Bundestag.

SPD vice faction leader Verena Hubertz spoke of a breakthrough. “A first reading will take place before the summer break in the next session week,” Hubertz explained. At the same time, she said, the coalition would work for a new generation of trade agreements that would also focus on sustainability and social rights.

However, ratification by the Bundestag is to be subject to a proviso. According to the agreement reached by the “traffic light” group, ratification will not take place until an interpretative declaration on investment protection, for example, is available in the fall following talks at the EU level and with the Canadian government. The ratification process in the EU should not be stopped by this, but should allow it to continue.

“After intensive negotiations, with this agreement we have created the basis for a new trade policy that will be fairer and more sustainable,” said Green Party leader Katharina Dröge. “Climate protection, biodiversity, and workers’ rights must be strong components of trade agreements in the future.” Dröge pointed to the Energy Charter, whose reform is being negotiated in the EU. “The Energy Charter is one of the most problematic investment protection treaties and has already enabled numerous lawsuits against environmental regulation,” Dröge said. “We have agreed that this treaty must be comprehensively reformed.”

The Ceta trade agreement, which has long been controversial in Germany, particularly within the SPD and the Greens, entered into force provisionally on September 21, 2017. For it to take full effect, it must be ratified by the parliaments of all EU member states. Currently, 15 EU states have ratified CETA and it is still pending in twelve countries.

Among the regulations that will only come into force after ratification by all states are those on the settlement of disputes between investors and states by a publicly legitimized investment court. rtr

Commission examines takeover of Slovenian OMV service stations by MOL

The European Commission has launched a full investigation into the planned takeover of Slovenia’s service station network from Austrian oil and gas group OMV by Hungary’s MOL Group. The merger of the second and third largest fuel suppliers in Slovenia could affect competition, competition watchdogs said Thursday.

“To ensure that fuel prices at the pumps are not artificially pushed up by a lack of competition, we need to keep a close eye on consolidation,” said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. MOL would have sought EU antitrust approval for the acquisition last month and, after an initial review, offered no concessions to address the concerns. The Commission plans to decide by Oct. 28 whether to approve or block the takeover. rtr

EU to cooperate more closely in health crises

In health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be much closer cooperation at the EU level in the future. Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament agreed on Thursday to strengthen cooperation across national borders. To this end, the EU Commission will for the first time be able to declare an EU-wide health emergency and thus trigger coordinated action, for example in the purchase and storage of imported goods.

Thursday’s agreement is part of a package for a “health union” that gives the EU significantly more powers in health matters than it had before the pandemic. The powers of the EU’s health authorities ECDC and EMA have already been expanded in recent months, and new authority, Hera, has been created to prepare for health crises.

“Covid-19 is still present, and we are seeing new health threats like monkeypox, against which our health union is needed now more than ever,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

Specifically, according to the European Parliament, the agreement provides for closer cooperation between neighboring regions in particular and also between EU authorities in health crises. In addition, an overview of stockpiles and capacities for the production of certain medical products is to be created. Preparations for health crises at EU and national level will also be strengthened.

The rules for the joint purchase of vaccines or other medical supplies by EU countries have been clarified. According to the parliament, there is a possibility to limit parallel procurement and negotiation of those countries that participate in the joint purchase. Thursday’s agreement still needs to be formally confirmed by the parliament and EU states. dpa

What’s cooking in Luxembourg

From Claire Stam

Cuddle stain with hot sauce. Two hot meetings are taking place in Luxembourg at the end of France’s EU presidency: the Council of Energy Ministers on June 27 and the Council of Environment Ministers on June 28. And this in an uncertain national context, after Head of State Emmanuel Macron – aka Jupiter – received a real electoral slap last Sunday.

If you travel to Luxembourg and want to try the most typical of all gastronomies, you should sit down at the table in a good traditional restaurant and order Kuddelfleck. It is better not to know what it is made of (as it is fried cow stomach with breadcrumbs). Just trust the good work of the cooks. By the way, it is an ideal dish to fight against harsh winters.

And Europeans will need hefty dishes to get them through the coming months. “Preparing for winter will put a lot of pressure on the European energy agenda and the political agenda of the Czech presidency,” reports a person familiar with European politics. And it is in this context that the French presidency is coming to an end as it prepares to pass the baton to Prague.

Last chance for the French Chairmanship

European energy and environment ministers will meet in Luxembourg on June 27 and 28. Energy ministers could adopt the new targets of the RePowerEU plan to increase the share of renewable energy to 45 percent (instead of 40 percent) by 2030 and reduce energy consumption by 13 percent (instead of nine percent) by 2030 through increasing energy efficiency.

The environment ministers will deal with three dossiers: the end of sales of new combustion vehicles by 2035, the phasing out of free allowances in the emissions trading scheme, and the climate social fund. The two dates are the last chance for the French presidency to reach an agreement among the 27 member states on the Fit for 55 climate package. Prague will then have the task of overseeing the trilogues with the European Parliament. Which is anything but an easy task.

The two dates are all the more important because the French Council presidency has tried to bypass the European Council, where individual governments use the required unanimity for blackmail attempts. Instead, Paris is relying on the Permanent Representatives Committee and the rounds of ministers.

At the two councils next week, the presidency wants to make a whole series of compromises. Our expert speaks of the institutional equivalent of doing a triple somersault on the trapeze without a safety net: “If it works out, it’s very good; if it doesn’t, you’ll land right in the dust”.

In Paris government circles, however, there is a sobering realization that the dynamics of the negotiations are difficult. “We are in the home stretch and we see a certain hardening of the position of some member states, especially Germany. This is problematic because we should be in a phase where compromises are made.”

Political confusion in Paris

With his characteristic grandeur, Emmanuel Macron had promised at the beginning of the French presidency to reach an agreement on the 14 texts of the energy and climate package. But achieving the goal has not become any easier following the results of last Sunday’s parliamentary election.

The government will send a new minister to the negotiating table to lead the negotiations at both Councils: Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the minister in charge of the energy transition. She must try to bring to a general direction the dossiers prepared by her predecessor Barbara Pompili since January 2022.

Pannier-Runacher is part of the environmental triptych Macron announced between the two rounds of parliamentary elections. But Amélie de Montchalin, who was appointed minister for the ecological transition, leaves her post vacant after losing her seat in the National Assembly last Sunday. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is now directly responsible for “ecological and energy planning.”

The appointment of former Industry Minister Pannier-Runacher to a key position for environmental and climate protection had led to an outcry in France, especially from the left and environmental associations. She rejects this: “I am for the ecology of solutions, not the ecology of illusions.” Pannier-Runacher describes herself as a “technician”: “I profess to work a lot because these are complicated issues that cannot be entrusted to people who only have slogans.” In Luxembourg she now has to put her skills to the test .

EUROPE.TABLE EDITORS

Till
Hoppe

Charlotte
Wirth

Falk
Steiner

Timo
Landenberger

Corinna
Visser

Lukas
Knigge

Eric
Bonse

Sarah
Schaefer

Manuel
Berkel

Lisa-Martina
Klein

Markus
Grabitz

Stephan
Israel

Claire
Stam

Dear reader,

Ukraine and Moldova became official candidates for membership in the European Union yesterday. This is a – albeit expected – bang for the buck and an “historic decision,” as was said several times at the EU summit in Brussels. and what about the Western Balkans? At the preceding informal meeting of the heads of state and government of the EU countries and the countries of the Western Balkans, there was mostly frustration, report Eric Bonse and Stephan Israel.

The end for combustion cars was almost here in Germany, but the FDP changed its mind. It contradicts the spirit of the coalition agreement, said party leader Christian Lindner. At the EU level, this change of heart is causing a few things to shake up. On Tuesday, the Environment Council will vote on the Commission’s proposal. My colleague Lukas Scheid has analyzed the situation.

Once again, there is upheaval in Italy’s politics: Luigi Di Maio, Italy’s foreign minister, has left the M5S party along with 60 parliamentary representatives to form the new Insieme per el futuro (Together for the Future) parliamentary group. Isabel Cuesta Camacho reports on the reasons and implications for Italy’s domestic politics.

In her column, Claire Stam takes a glance at the upcoming final days of the French presidency. The energy and environment ministers want to reach a whole series of compromises at the meeting at the end of the month. Perhaps Emmanuel Macron will succeed after all in what he set out to do six months ago with a great deal of self-confidence.

I wish you an exciting read and a nice weekend.

Your
Lisa-Martina Klein

“Historic decisions” in favor of Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia

As expected, the European Council has accepted Ukraine into the exclusive circle of accession candidates. Moldova was also unanimously granted candidate status at the EU summit in Brussels on Thursday. Both countries are thus in line with Turkey as well as Albania, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

For the time being, Georgia must be content with the smaller step of the “European perspective,” i.e., the prospect of candidate status at a later date. In the Western Balkans, on the other hand, there was no tangible progress. The opening of accession talks with North Macedonia and Albania, which Chancellor Olaf Scholz had advocated during a trip to the Balkans, remains blocked because of the veto from Bulgaria.

Nevertheless, the Western Balkans summit convened by EU Council President Charles Michel in the morning had not been in vain, said Austria’s Chancellor Karl Nehammer. The summit had brought about a “paradigm shift.” After three and a half hours of intensive debate, it was agreed that Bosnia-Herzegovina needed a European perspective just as much as Georgia.

The unusually long debate meant that the eagerly awaited decision on Ukraine was not made until the evening. It wasn’t until 8:30 p.m. that the time finally came. “27 times yes!” wrote Scholz on Twitter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who was tuned in via video, spoke of a “historic moment.” “The future of Ukraine lies in the EU,” Zelensky wrote.

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke of a “good day for Europe”, and Council President Charles Michel also called the decision “historic”. Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, was delighted: at the beginning of the EU summit, she had made a fiery plea for enlargement to the east. Metsola was the first EU politician to travel to Kyiv in April.

EU also needs reforms

Nehammer was more reserved. Candidate status does not yet mean the start of accession negotiations, he said on Thursday evening after the summit decision: “There are still many steps to be taken.” The EU also still needs reforms to become receptive, he added. Chancellor Scholz had already expressed similar views before the beginning of the summit.

Anyhow, it is unclear what steps will come next. The conclusions only outline the next steps. Accordingly, the EU Commission is to review whether Ukraine and Moldova have implemented the reforms listed in the Commission reports presented a week ago – for example, to combat corruption. Only when all conditions have been met in full will the Council decide on the next steps.

Opening accession negotiations requires the renewed unanimous consent of all 27 member states. This is considered a major hurdle, which many EU candidates have taken several years to clear. Given Ukraine’s situation, however, it could be quicker. The unusual speed already with the application for membership is due to “the geopolitical situation,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who stood on the brakes for a long time.

Without the Russian invasion, as Rutte’s words can be interpreted, Kyiv could have waited a long time for the green light. In view of the war, however, the EU now wants to move quickly. In addition to further arms purchases from the European Peace Facility, generous funding for reconstruction is also planned. Ukraine needs a “Marshall Plan,” Scholz had said in his government statement in the Bundestag on Wednesday.

Discussions are “intense and fruitful”

However, financing is still unclear. It is likely to keep the EU busy in the coming weeks and months. The Western Balkans could also keep the EU on its toes. Rutte expressed optimism that the Bulgarian blockade will end soon. “There is a 50 to 60 percent chance that there can be a breakthrough next week,” he said. Bulgaria is working hard to find a solution, he added.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov asked for understanding, referring to the domestic political turmoil. But he also pointed out that the Bulgarian parliament would make a decision on North Macedonia “very soon.” According to unconfirmed reports, this could be as early as Friday.

Optimists had originally hoped that the decision could be made in Sofia in time for the Western Balkans summit. President Emmanuel Macron, in his role as current EU Council president, had mediated between Bulgaria and North Macedonia. Yet, it was not enough in the end. In the evening, EU Council President Charles Michel described the discussion at the Western Balkans summit as “intense and fruitful.” A press conference originally planned for noon was canceled by the summit host at short notice.

For this, the leaders of Albania, Serbia and North Macedonia appeared at an impromptu press conference on their own initiative. The day was historic, but in a negative sense, said Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama. Bulgaria was “a disgrace,” but it was not only Bulgaria’s disgrace. Indeed, Greece had previously blocked talks with Skopje for years until the country changed its name from Macedonia to North Macedonia. The enlargement process is “broken,” not much left of the common vision, Edi Rama said. Instead, individual EU states were acting as “hostage-takers,” thus rendering the EU “impotent.”

Frustration is also running high in Kosovo and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Kosovo’s President Vjosa Osmani criticized the fact that her countrymen are the only ones waiting for visa-free travel. Kosovo had fulfilled all conditions. France and the Netherlands had blocked this action but recently signaled flexibility. The decision on the status of Ukraine and Moldova as well as the European perspective for Georgia was delayed because of a discussion about Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Macron’s idea gains approval

Slovenia, Croatia, and Austria urged that Bosnia also be given a clear road map toward candidate country status. The conclusions call on Bosnia to urgently implement constitutional and electoral reform as set out in a June 12 political agreement. The European Council said it was ready to grant Bosnia candidate country status and called on the Commission to report “without delay” on the implementation of 14 priorities.

At the working dinner in the evening, the heads of state and government discussed President Macron’s idea of a European Political Community (EPC) under the title “Wider Europe.” The concept is no longer controversial and the Balkan countries have also shown interest, diplomats said. The concept was not meant to replace the enlargement process, but to complement it, they said. Macron had been able to dispel corresponding fears among the candidate countries as well, they said. The task now is to flesh out the proposal and avoid overlaps with existing organizations.

The European Political Community (EPC) would also not compete with the Council of Europe, NATO or the OSCE with their very specific focus. Twice-yearly meetings are conceivable, as during the pandemic, to discuss health issues, infrastructure questions or other topics of geopolitical importance. The summit could mandate the EU Commission or the upcoming Czech Council presidency to further develop the concept.

The forum could offer immediate added value to the candidate countries, but could also be open to ex-member Britain or Switzerland. Not all countries in Europe could “move into the same house” but shared the same neighborhood and the same streets, Macron let slip his skepticism about borderless enlargement, even on the day of the clear yeses to Ukraine and Moldova. The EU should not undermine its “strategic intimacy.” with Stephan Israel

Europe looks to Berlin for the phasing out of the internal combustion engine

In the Permanent Representatives Committee (Coreper), the oath is being sworn today: the German government is to define its position on the phasing out of internal combustion engines in 2035 in the circle of EU ambassadors, thus enabling the French Council Presidency to prepare adequately for the Environment Council next Tuesday. There, the member states want to define their general direction. A qualified majority requires at least 15 of the 27 member states, which also account for at least 65 percent of the EU’s total population.

Currently, the signs from Berlin are pointing to abstention due to the opposition of the FDP, which could also have an influence on other member states. It is therefore a matter of great concern that the German position will change, according to circles in the French government. Paris largely supports the EU Commission’s proposed 2035 phase-out of internal combustion vehicles, but President Emmanuel Macron is proposing an exemption for hybrid cars until 2040.

Countries such as Spain, Poland, and France are interested in what Germany, as Europe’s largest automaker, has to say on the subject, explains Alex Keynes, Clean Vehicles Manager at the environmental organization T&E. Many would look to Berlin before deciding their own position. For Keynes, phasing out the internal combustion engine is the “absolute minimum” to achieve EU climate targets. Therefore, other countries should also vote for the text independently of Germany, he proposes.

Currently, according to information from Europe.Table, in addition to Germany, Italy and Spain are also wobbly candidates for acceptance of the Commission’s proposal, as is France itself because of the required exemption for hybrids. Four countries without which there will be no agreement, as they alone account for well over half of the EU population. Germany therefore has an extraordinary role to play in the Environment Council.

Dispute over reading of the coalition agreement

And yet the coalition agreement of the “Ampel” government is actually quite clear on this matter: “in the negotiations on the EU program ‘Fit for 55’, we support the proposals of the EU Commission,” it says. The tightening of CO2 fleet limits for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles is part of this program. The Commission’s proposal: from 2035, only zero-emission new vehicles may be registered by raising the fleet limits, which give car manufacturers CO2 reduction targets for their new vehicle fleets, to 100 percent from that date. Due to the measurement of CO2 emissions at the tailpipe, this would mean a de facto end to combustion.

Germany’s long-standing resistance at the EU level to strict limit values seemed to have been broken in view of such formulations. However, after the EU Parliament also spoke out in favor of phasing out internal combustion vehicles in 2035 two weeks ago, thus clearing the way for trialogue negotiations with the member states, a somewhat diffuse resistance arose from the FDP.

Lindner calls for abstention

Party leader and German Finance Minister Christian Lindner explained that phasing out internal combustion engines contradicted the spirit of the coalition agreement. Instead, he said, they want “a future option for climate-friendly liquid fuels” – also known as e-fuels. Most recently, he and Federal Transport Minister Volker Wissing announced their intention to reject the 2035 phase-out of internal combustion engines. This means that at the meeting of the environment ministers of the 27 member states next Tuesday, when the Council defines its position on tightening fleet limits, Germany will not agree to the Commission’s proposal and will abstain instead.

However, the Green Minister for the Environment, Steffi Lemke, will be there on Tuesday in Luxembourg, and there is no doubt in her house about the reading of the coalition agreement: the end of combustion engines in 2035. This position has also been confirmed several times in recent months within the German government, including by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Transport, as can be seen from documents of the Ministry of the Environment, which is responsible for the dossier.

E-fuels merely “outside the fleet limits”

Lindner rejects criticism that the FDP is moving away from internal coalition agreements. “In our eyes, the stipulation of the traffic light coalition agreement, according to which e-fuels are to remain an option, is also not fulfilled,” he said yesterday. It is true that the coalition agreement states that they are committed to ensuring that vehicles that can only be fueled with e-fuels can continue to be registered. However, it explicitly states “outside the existing system of fleet limits.” It is therefore not clear to what extent Christian Lindner does not see the coalition agreement being fulfilled by the phasing out of internal combustion vehicles in 2035.

The Ministry of the Environment, on the other hand, says that the German government will only support e-fuels in road transport if they are used in vehicles for which no fleet limits apply. These could be tractors or construction vehicles, for example, for which there are currently no adequate decarbonization options other than synthetic fuels.

Lemke optimistic, Lindner sets condition

Federal Environment Minister Lemke nevertheless expressed optimism yesterday “that we will find a good regulation and stick to the line of support for the Fit for 55 package that has been decided so far.” Lindner made “substantial changes to the legal texts” by the Commission a condition for this.

However, his claim to be “a future option for climate-friendly liquid fuels” is highly controversial. E-fuels based on green hydrogen are much more expensive than fossil fuels. Nor is it to be expected that the particularly energy-intensive synthetic fuel, of all things, will become established without subsidies, unlike other new energy sources.

Whoever asks the FDP about a funding concept for the market launch receives only evasive answers. “We are counting on the approval of synthetic fuels in their pure form, which could be made possible quickly and free of charge. In the coalition agreement, we have already agreed to implement the amended Renewable Energies Directive as openly and ambitiously as possible in terms of technology once it has been adopted,” says Carina Konrad, the deputy parliamentary group leader responsible for the environment and transport.

E-fuels planned for aircraft and ships

However, the Renewable Energies Directive in particular only provides for e-fuels in homeopathic doses. The Commission originally wanted to introduce a quota of 2.6 percent by 2030 in the current amendment in the transport sector. With the accelerated expansion of renewables as part of REPowerEU, it believes it will be able to increase the quota to 5.7 percent. However, this is not the quota for passenger car fuels alone, but for all modes of transport.

The lion’s share is likely to be used for aircraft and ships. In any case, institutions such as Agora Verkehrswende remind us that synthetic gasoline and diesel will in the future be co-products of the production of synthetic aviation fuels. In the long term, they would be available to supply the remaining passenger car fleet.

However, the Commission is convinced that the vast majority of e-fuels will continue to be needed in the industrial sector. The Renewable Energies Directive wants to stipulate a 50 percent share of hydrogen consumption in industry. Through REPowerEU, the Commission now considers 78 percent feasible by 2030. With Manuel Berkel and Claire Stam

Turmoil in Italy’s politics: Foreign Minister leaves 5-Star Movement

Italian politics is once again showing its propensity for turbulence. Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio resigned from his party, the 5-Star Movement (M5S), on Tuesday. Di Maio is leaving his party after a weeks-long dispute with Giuseppe Conte over Italy’s military support for Ukraine. The ambiguous stance of some Five Star Movement leaders on arms sales to Ukraine has hurt Italy in recent months, Di Maio says. He called it irresponsible for his party to abandon the country and question the unity of Mario Draghi’s government in order to win back lost voter support. “This war is not a media spectacle, it is real and its victims are real,” Di Maio said.

Giuseppe Conte, former prime minister and leader of the M5S since August 2021, had repeatedly called for refraining from further arms deliveries to Ukraine and instead intensifying diplomatic peace efforts. The governing parties endorsed Draghi’s policy of military aid to Ukraine by a clear majority in parliament this week, leaving Conte’s position in the minority.

The official reason for the rift is that a group of M5E senators had prepared a draft resolution to urge Draghi’s executive on Tuesday to stop supplying weapons to the Ukrainians. The document was not finalized at the Senate briefing Draghi attended Tuesday. Di Maio, however, took the opportunity to accuse the party of distancing itself from EU and NATO values. Di Maio’s departure from his party can also be seen as a strategic move to prepare for the next election campaign . The M5S statutes stipulate that the term of office for political representatives is limited to two legislative periods. This means that the 35-year-old Di Maio could not run again in the next parliamentary elections in spring 2023.

Matteo Salvini’s Lega now the strongest force

Di Maio acted quickly and, after his party’s resignation, has already formed the new Insieme per el futuro (Together for the Future) parliamentary group with at least 60 of the 5-Star Movement’s 227 deputies. This new faction now projects itself as pro-European, institutional, and moderate, in stark contrast to the populist ideals that had won Di Maio an electoral victory alongside the M5S in the last elections. Chamber president and M5S party member Roberto Fico was quoted in the Italian media as saying, “Minister Di Maio’s resignation is instrumental, it is political opportunism.”

Until this week, the 5-Star Movement was the majority partner in the Mario Draghi led unity coalition. With Di Maio’s split and the decline of M5S deputies, Matteo Salvini’s Lega Nord becomes the leading parliamentary force. In the Chamber, the seats of the deputies changed as follows after Di Maio’s move: Conte’s Five Star Movement now has only 105 deputies (it had 227 at the beginning of the legislature), while the Lega has 132. According to La Repubblica newspaper, the M5S in the Senate will shrink from 72 to 61 deputies, the same size as the Lega faction, if the announcements are confirmed.

The near end of an anti-establishment party

The popularity of Five Star had plummeted in recent years as it struggled to transform itself from a protest movement to a governing party. As various Italian media outlets have reported, polls show that the party now has the support of less than 15 percent of voters – down from nearly 33 percent in 2018 – and has lost control of many key city councils in local elections. In reality, the implosion of the M5S closes a chapter marked by the rise of a party born of citizen discontent.

M5S leader Conte has commented on Di Maio’s departure from the party, saying that the governing coalition is not in danger, according to Italian media reports. “We will support the executive branch as long as we can fight our battles within the political framework,” Conte said. Commenting on the fact that many former M5S members have joined Di Maio’s new parliamentary group, Together for the Future, Conte noted, “Even if the movement is no longer the first political force in Parliament, it will always remain the first political force dealing with social justice, ecological change, digitalization, common goods…. all issues that are the main reason for our service in politics.” The political turmoil in his country will accompany Prime Minister Mario Draghi this week at the European summit and next week at the NATO meeting in Madrid, to which Ukrainian President Zelensky is invited.

Habeck calls on EU partners to save gas

The German government on Thursday combined the declaration of a national gas alert with an appeal to other EU states. “European neighbors should do everything possible for them to also bring down gas consumption and keep their storage levels high,” German Economy Minister Robert Habeck (Greens) said in Berlin. “This is also a signal of today to Europe that at least the German federal government and I in person think we have to do even better.”

The background to this are calculations by the German Federal Network Agency, which were also published on Thursday. According to these, a sustained curtailment of Russian gas flows through Nord Stream 1 would have a striking impact on European supply security as a whole.

“Even if supplies through Nordstream 1 remain at the 40 percent level on a continuous basis, the storage filling to 90 percent by December 1 envisaged in the Gas Storage Act is only possible if it is assumed that intra-European gas deliveries will no longer be made in full and it is assumed that gas consumption this winter will be 20 percent below normal levels,” the BMWK wrote in a press release. “However, it is thus crucial, even in the current status quo, to significantly reduce domestic gas consumption in order to ensure our own security of supply as well as the security of supply of our neighboring countries.”

Parliament votes in favor of storage regulation

Habeck stressed that he would stick to European solidarity. Germany is dependent on European gas transit and the use of LNG terminals in other EU states, he said. “So, conversely, we are of course also obliged to make what we have available to our European neighbors.”

According to a spokesman for the EU Commission, twelve member states are currently affected by supply cuts by Russia. However, exchange with national authorities had shown that security of supply in the EU was currently guaranteed, he said. EU energy ministers would discuss possible measures to reduce gas demand and step up preparations for a tightening situation at their meeting in Luxembourg on Monday.

Yesterday, the plenum of the EU Parliament also voted in favor of the new gas storage regulation, which prescribes certain fill levels for fall and winter for all member states. It now has to be approved by the Council.

Additional gas Norway wants to supply to EU countries. “There is great potential to increase sales to Europe in 2022, which would bring nearly 100 TWh of additional energy to the European market,” said a joint statement released after a meeting between Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans and Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson with Norway’s Energy Minister Terje Aasland. ber/rtr

Traffic light coalition wants to push CETA agreement through Bundestag

Ratification by Germany of the Ceta trade agreement between the European Union and Canada, which entered into force provisionally almost five years ago, is drawing closer. The SPD, Greens, and FDP parties agreed on Thursday to introduce the ratification bill in the cabinet before the summer break and then have the first referral in the Bundestag.

SPD vice faction leader Verena Hubertz spoke of a breakthrough. “A first reading will take place before the summer break in the next session week,” Hubertz explained. At the same time, she said, the coalition would work for a new generation of trade agreements that would also focus on sustainability and social rights.

However, ratification by the Bundestag is to be subject to a proviso. According to the agreement reached by the “traffic light” group, ratification will not take place until an interpretative declaration on investment protection, for example, is available in the fall following talks at the EU level and with the Canadian government. The ratification process in the EU should not be stopped by this, but should allow it to continue.

“After intensive negotiations, with this agreement we have created the basis for a new trade policy that will be fairer and more sustainable,” said Green Party leader Katharina Dröge. “Climate protection, biodiversity, and workers’ rights must be strong components of trade agreements in the future.” Dröge pointed to the Energy Charter, whose reform is being negotiated in the EU. “The Energy Charter is one of the most problematic investment protection treaties and has already enabled numerous lawsuits against environmental regulation,” Dröge said. “We have agreed that this treaty must be comprehensively reformed.”

The Ceta trade agreement, which has long been controversial in Germany, particularly within the SPD and the Greens, entered into force provisionally on September 21, 2017. For it to take full effect, it must be ratified by the parliaments of all EU member states. Currently, 15 EU states have ratified CETA and it is still pending in twelve countries.

Among the regulations that will only come into force after ratification by all states are those on the settlement of disputes between investors and states by a publicly legitimized investment court. rtr

Commission examines takeover of Slovenian OMV service stations by MOL

The European Commission has launched a full investigation into the planned takeover of Slovenia’s service station network from Austrian oil and gas group OMV by Hungary’s MOL Group. The merger of the second and third largest fuel suppliers in Slovenia could affect competition, competition watchdogs said Thursday.

“To ensure that fuel prices at the pumps are not artificially pushed up by a lack of competition, we need to keep a close eye on consolidation,” said EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. MOL would have sought EU antitrust approval for the acquisition last month and, after an initial review, offered no concessions to address the concerns. The Commission plans to decide by Oct. 28 whether to approve or block the takeover. rtr

EU to cooperate more closely in health crises

In health crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be much closer cooperation at the EU level in the future. Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament agreed on Thursday to strengthen cooperation across national borders. To this end, the EU Commission will for the first time be able to declare an EU-wide health emergency and thus trigger coordinated action, for example in the purchase and storage of imported goods.

Thursday’s agreement is part of a package for a “health union” that gives the EU significantly more powers in health matters than it had before the pandemic. The powers of the EU’s health authorities ECDC and EMA have already been expanded in recent months, and new authority, Hera, has been created to prepare for health crises.

“Covid-19 is still present, and we are seeing new health threats like monkeypox, against which our health union is needed now more than ever,” said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides.

Specifically, according to the European Parliament, the agreement provides for closer cooperation between neighboring regions in particular and also between EU authorities in health crises. In addition, an overview of stockpiles and capacities for the production of certain medical products is to be created. Preparations for health crises at EU and national level will also be strengthened.

The rules for the joint purchase of vaccines or other medical supplies by EU countries have been clarified. According to the parliament, there is a possibility to limit parallel procurement and negotiation of those countries that participate in the joint purchase. Thursday’s agreement still needs to be formally confirmed by the parliament and EU states. dpa

What’s cooking in Luxembourg

From Claire Stam

Cuddle stain with hot sauce. Two hot meetings are taking place in Luxembourg at the end of France’s EU presidency: the Council of Energy Ministers on June 27 and the Council of Environment Ministers on June 28. And this in an uncertain national context, after Head of State Emmanuel Macron – aka Jupiter – received a real electoral slap last Sunday.

If you travel to Luxembourg and want to try the most typical of all gastronomies, you should sit down at the table in a good traditional restaurant and order Kuddelfleck. It is better not to know what it is made of (as it is fried cow stomach with breadcrumbs). Just trust the good work of the cooks. By the way, it is an ideal dish to fight against harsh winters.

And Europeans will need hefty dishes to get them through the coming months. “Preparing for winter will put a lot of pressure on the European energy agenda and the political agenda of the Czech presidency,” reports a person familiar with European politics. And it is in this context that the French presidency is coming to an end as it prepares to pass the baton to Prague.

Last chance for the French Chairmanship

European energy and environment ministers will meet in Luxembourg on June 27 and 28. Energy ministers could adopt the new targets of the RePowerEU plan to increase the share of renewable energy to 45 percent (instead of 40 percent) by 2030 and reduce energy consumption by 13 percent (instead of nine percent) by 2030 through increasing energy efficiency.

The environment ministers will deal with three dossiers: the end of sales of new combustion vehicles by 2035, the phasing out of free allowances in the emissions trading scheme, and the climate social fund. The two dates are the last chance for the French presidency to reach an agreement among the 27 member states on the Fit for 55 climate package. Prague will then have the task of overseeing the trilogues with the European Parliament. Which is anything but an easy task.

The two dates are all the more important because the French Council presidency has tried to bypass the European Council, where individual governments use the required unanimity for blackmail attempts. Instead, Paris is relying on the Permanent Representatives Committee and the rounds of ministers.

At the two councils next week, the presidency wants to make a whole series of compromises. Our expert speaks of the institutional equivalent of doing a triple somersault on the trapeze without a safety net: “If it works out, it’s very good; if it doesn’t, you’ll land right in the dust”.

In Paris government circles, however, there is a sobering realization that the dynamics of the negotiations are difficult. “We are in the home stretch and we see a certain hardening of the position of some member states, especially Germany. This is problematic because we should be in a phase where compromises are made.”

Political confusion in Paris

With his characteristic grandeur, Emmanuel Macron had promised at the beginning of the French presidency to reach an agreement on the 14 texts of the energy and climate package. But achieving the goal has not become any easier following the results of last Sunday’s parliamentary election.

The government will send a new minister to the negotiating table to lead the negotiations at both Councils: Agnès Pannier-Runacher, the minister in charge of the energy transition. She must try to bring to a general direction the dossiers prepared by her predecessor Barbara Pompili since January 2022.

Pannier-Runacher is part of the environmental triptych Macron announced between the two rounds of parliamentary elections. But Amélie de Montchalin, who was appointed minister for the ecological transition, leaves her post vacant after losing her seat in the National Assembly last Sunday. Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne is now directly responsible for “ecological and energy planning.”

The appointment of former Industry Minister Pannier-Runacher to a key position for environmental and climate protection had led to an outcry in France, especially from the left and environmental associations. She rejects this: “I am for the ecology of solutions, not the ecology of illusions.” Pannier-Runacher describes herself as a “technician”: “I profess to work a lot because these are complicated issues that cannot be entrusted to people who only have slogans.” In Luxembourg she now has to put her skills to the test .