Europe.EN Industry

EU environment ministers agreed on Thursday in Brussels to seek an exemption for extensive agricultural operations from the stricter rules of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED). As expected, EU environment ministers amended the Commission proposal to extend the scope of the directive to intensive livestock farms with more than 350 livestock units (LU) for cattle and pigs, 280 LU for poultry and 350 LU for mixed farms.

Von Claire Stam

The 27 EU environment ministers will meet today, Thursday, for the Environment Council in Brussels. The focus is on the revision of the directive on industrial emissions. On the eve of the Council, the German government has still not found a common position on this directive, which is important for Germany.

Von Claire Stam

The French government's desire to count hydrogen produced from nuclear energy toward the EU's green energy targets is meeting resistance in the European Parliament. Partially meeting the 45 percent renewable energy target with red hydrogen is not an option, MEP Markus Pieper (CDU), who is leading the negotiations on the renewable energy directive as rapporteur, told journalists yesterday.

Von Manuel Berkel

The gas crisis seems to be over for the time being. But whether the easing of tensions will last depends on many conditions. The most important variable: Will the lower prices be enough for industrial production in the EU to pick up again? British researchers, meanwhile, consider China's influence to be surprisingly small.

Von Manuel Berkel