{"id":2502,"date":"2023-05-25T12:20:40","date_gmt":"2023-05-25T11:20:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unionsyndicale.eu\/agora_article\/la-proposition-fit-for-55\/"},"modified":"2023-07-24T13:38:54","modified_gmt":"2023-07-24T12:38:54","slug":"fit-for-55-december-package","status":"publish","type":"agora_article","link":"https:\/\/unionsyndicale.eu\/en\/agora_article\/fit-for-55-december-package\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Fit for 55\u2019 December package"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u2018Fit for 55\u2019 December package<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\u2018Fit for 55\u2019 December package<\/h1><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Agora #89<\/span><\/div>
Pages 14 - 16<\/span><\/div><\/div>
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On 15 December, the European Commission presented a Fit complement for 55 proposals, including an \"energy, climate and nature protection\" package and the revision of the directive on the energy performance of buildings.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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On 15 December, the European Commission presented additional\u00a0Fit for 55<\/em>\u00a0proposals, including an \u201cenergy, climate and nature protection\u201d package, and the revision of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. Compared to the release of the\u00a0first part of the package in July<\/strong><\/a>, the socio-economic and political context has changed considerably.\u00a0 The COP26 highlighted the importance to deliver socially-just and climate-ambitious proposals at a time when the critical limit of a temperature rise by 1.5\u00baC seems to be slipping away. Energy price hikes that severely affect EU citizens drew attention to the social effects of the energy transition, even if these are not directly related to decarbonisation efforts. The second part of the \u201cFit for 55\u201d package was also seen as an opportunity to alleviate such concerns and at the same time accelerate a green and just transition.<\/p>\n

The Commission proposes to\u00a0recast the existing gas market rules<\/strong>\u00a0which now mainly focus on natural gas to also cover\u00a0renewable\u00a0and\u00a0low-carbon gases\u00a0as well as\u00a0hydrogen. This includes a\u00a0regulation<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and a\u00a0directive on the internal markets for renewable and natural gases and for hydrogen<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with\u00a0new definitions\u00a0of renewable and low-carbon gases (including hydrogen), their certification and common rules for injecting renewable and low-carbon gases into existing gas infrastructure.<\/p>\n

With regards to the importance of hydrogen production and transport in several economic sectors, new rules for\u00a0dedicated hydrogen networks\u00a0are also part of the proposal, including adjusted rules regarding unbundling, third party access and tariffs. As think tank\u00a03GE noted<\/strong><\/a>, the package should avoid any reference to the blending of hydrogen and fossil gas, which would risk supporting an inefficient use of hydrogen that should only be targeted to decarbonising end uses where no alternatives exist.<\/p>\n

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As regards the security of gas supply, as a lesson drawn from the current gas crisis, the Commission proposes different measures to enhance cooperation and resilience, including a voluntary joint procurement scheme for Transmission System Operators, including storage and their ownership in the national risk assessments.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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Methane emissions from oil, gas and coal assets<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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To reduce methane emissions from fossil energy produced or consumed in the Union, the Commission-s proposal for a\u00a0regulation on methane emissions reduction<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0includes an obligation for operators of oil, fossil gas and coal assets to regularly\u00a0assess and report<\/strong>\u00a0the methane emissions of their assets as well as to\u00a0detect and repair<\/strong> leaks.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Energy performance of buildings<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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With the proposal for a recast of the\u00a0directive on the energy performance of buildings<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0the Commission aims at higher\u00a0building renovation\u00a0rates, inter alia by setting minimum energy performance standards for existing buildings and obliging the Member States to regularly present national building renovation action plans. Obligations to provide building sites with\u00a0charging points\u00a0for electric vehicles will be tightened.<\/p>\n

In addition to the Fit for 55 proposals<\/strong>, on 14 December 2021, as part of the Green Deal, the Commission also released a\u00a0communication on sustainable carbon cycles<\/strong><\/a>, a proposal for a\u00a0directive on\u00a0environmental crimes<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0as well as a proposal for a\u00a0Council recommendation on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

The proposals presented will be aligned with revised\u00a0climate, energy and environmental Aid Guidelines (CEEAG)<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and with the\u00a0taxonomy regulation<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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The ETUC-s position for A Just Transition Legal Framework to complement the Fit for 55 package<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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Adopted at the ETUC Executive Committee meeting of 8-9 December 2021, trade unions support the increase in the climate ambition proposed in the package and recognize that it is in line with the new climate law.<\/p>\n

The ETUC warns that the social consequences of the Fit for 55 package will be strong and should not be overlooked<\/strong>, especially on those workers for regions and sectors depending on fossil fuel activities that will undertake profound transformations. For example, the proposed reform of the Emission Trading System or the ban of selling new combustion engine vehicle by 2035 will profoundly impact the related industries. If nothing is done to manage and anticipate those changes, climate policies will negatively affect employment prospects in many regions and lead to deindustrialisation.<\/p>\n

The ETUC also stresses that the proposed creation of a separate Emission Trading System for heating fuels in buildings and transport fuels \u2013 will have strong regressive distributional effects and affect proportionally more low- and middle-income households. At a time where 50 million European households already suffer from energy poverty and in the current context of sharp rise in energy prices.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

A need for a stronger social dimension in the European Green Deal policies to deliver on the European Pillar of Social Rights and on the Porto Declaration<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>
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To address those concerns, the ETUC calls on the European Commission to propose additional policy measures to strengthen the social and labour dimension of the European Green Deal. Now, the Commission\u2019s legislative proposals are indeed designed with the ambition to achieve the 2030 climate target \u2013 which is absolutely needed \u2013 but fall short of measures to ensure a just transition for European workers and low-income households.<\/p>\n

To be socially acceptable, the climate ambition proposed in the package should be matched by an equivalent social ambition, in line with the recent\u00a0Porto Declarations<\/strong><\/a> made by the EU Council and the European Pillars of Social Rights. The European Green Deal agenda should indeed be used as an opportunity to maintain and create quality jobs, promote decent work across all sectors, raise labour standards, tackle discriminations at work, promote gender equality, and workplace democracy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

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Trade Unions call for the adoption of a Just Transition legal framework as part of the European Green Deal<\/span><\/span><\/h4>
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The\u00a0ETUC calls<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0for the adoption of policy measures to operationalise the ILO Guidelines for a Just Transition, adopted in 2015. Concretely, European trade unions are calling for the adoption of a Just Transition legal framework as part of the European Green Deal, to accompany the Fit for 55 packages.<\/p>\n

The Commission\u2019s proposal should go beyond simple recommendations to Member States and take the form of concrete legislative proposals to strengthen workers right to information and consultation as well as to ensure the creation of quality jobs.<\/p>\n

On 1 December 2021\u00a0IndustriAll Europe<\/strong>\u2019s Executive Committee\u00a0concluded<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0that \u201cthe organisation supports the ambition of reaching climate neutrality by 2050 if a Just Transition is guaranteed and if social partners are given the chance to anticipate possible disruptive changes for industrial value chains and related jobs in Europe\u201d.<\/p>\n

The union argues that with the publication of the Fit for 55 Package, the European Commission has finally put forward an extensive and ambitious package of proposals that aim to bring EU climate policy in line with the emissions reduction target for 2030. IndustriAll Europe adopted a\u00a0position<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0paper\u00a0on the Package that affirms that its members see their role in trying to ensure that climate policies do not jeopardise the jobs and the working and living conditions of industrial workers. They want the Fit for 55 Package and its implementation to stimulate investment, create quality jobs, provide health and environmental benefits to EU citizens, while working to keep and develop strong industrial value chains in Europe through the promotion of innovation.<\/p>\n

The position<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0thus details\u00a0the union`s\u00a0concerns about \u201cinsufficient tools and resources<\/strong>\u00a0to deal with the consequences of the accelerated push for decarbonisation\u201d on workers in Europe. It also raises serious concerns about the\u00a0impact on purchasing power, inflation, poverty, as well as on employment<\/strong>. The union is also worried about the impact some proposals might have on\u00a0social inequalities<\/strong>, especially in Europe\u2019s poorest regions.<\/p>\n

The industriAll Europe position furthermore calls for:<\/p>\n