Tag: EU policies

Putting environmental requirements on any shale gas development

The German Energy Blog writes about the European Parliament pushing for strict environmental regulations if fracking is to go ahead.  No doubt the interest in fracking is such that better policies are certainly required.  The European  Commission is currently assessing the framework for shale gas production in the EU and may well consider appropriate regulation.  … Continue reading Putting environmental requirements on any shale gas development →

Health concerns from air pollution raised

The European Environment Agency has come out with a new study showing that air pollution in Europe is still harming health.  John Vidal provides an excellent article on this in The Guardian.  Curiously, he mentions that countries have downplayed hazards of air pollution despite evidence that it leads to 430,000 shortened lives a year. When … Continue reading Health concerns from air pollution raised →

Changing the rules for state aid in the EU could open the door to subsidise nuclear

Barbara Lewis and Karolin Schaps write in Euronews about the controversy that is brewing over the expected changes to EU state aid rules that will open the door for subsidising new nuclear power plants.   Picking up the nuclear energy bill divides the EU European Union rules to be published over the coming weeks could … Continue reading Changing the rules for state aid in the EU could open the door to subsidise nuclear →

New report from the European Environment Agency: An overview of EU environment policy targets and objectives

European Union legislation has established more than 130 separate environmental targets and objectives to be met between 2010 and 2050. Together, these can provide useful milestones supporting Europe’s transition towards a ‘green economy’, according to a report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA). The ‘green economy’ has emerged as a priority in policy debate … Continue reading New report from the European Environment Agency: An overview of EU environment policy targets and objectives →

Andrew Warren on EU energy savings targets

Andrew Warren, Director of the UK Association for the Conservation of Energy, wrote an excellent column that appears in the current issue of Energy in Buildings & Industry magazine. He looked at the way in which the absence of a legally binding Europe-wide target for energy efficiency improvement for 2020 is leading to the likelihood … Continue reading Andrew Warren on EU energy savings targets →

News from the European Commission

DG Energy has published report on energy performance certificates On 20 June 2013, the Commission published a study on "Energy performance certificates in buildings and their impact on transaction prices and rents in selected EU countries". The study shows a positive impact of the Energy Performance Certificate under the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (Directive … Continue reading News from the European Commission →

Concern about emissions trading scheme affecting the impact of renewables

Damian Carrington writes in the Guardian about the effects of an oversupply of carbon permits in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) on other efforts to cut carbon emissions.   EU emissions trading scheme 'set to cancel out renewable energy gains' Deep problems in Europe’s carbon trading scheme – its flagship climate change policy … Continue reading Concern about emissions trading scheme affecting the impact of renewables →

Loopholes in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive

Diarmaid William writes for Power Engineering International about how the UK is trying to avoid having to implement some of the main elements of the recently approved Energy Efficiency Directive.  So far the UK has not succeeded but there are concerns that loopholes still exist and there is every chance that some EU member states … Continue reading Loopholes in the EU’s Energy Efficiency Directive →