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short-term changes announced/Further significant improvements on leakage/Competitiveness and reduction of bureaucracy not a contradiction to climate protection but a necessary prerequisite for real success


The European Commission is moving on the subject of fines for the car industry. This emerges from a document just adopted by the College of Commissioners under Ursula von der Leyen with the heading ‘Competitiveness Compass’. The passage, which was included in the document at short notice, reads: ‘As part of the dialogue, we will identify immediate solutions to safeguard industry's capacity to invest, by looking at possible flexibilities to make sure our industry remains competitive, without lowering the overall ambition of the 2025 targets.’

The environmental policy spokesperson for the largest political group in the European Parliament (Christian Democrats, Peter Liese, EPP) welcomed the development: ‘We must not give up on our climate targets. The target for 2025 in particular is by no means overambitious. But imposing fines in the current critical situation does not help anyone. Our group has therefore proposed that companies that do not meet the targets in 2025 should be given the opportunity to avoid penalties by exceeding the targets in 2026/2027. Apparently, the Commission is now also thinking along these lines. The submitted text of the Competition Compass also contains a whole series of other improvements compared to the draft originally published on Friday (leak).’

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Strengthening Competitiveness and Reducing Bureaucracy, No Contradiction to EU Climate Goals, but Probably the Last Chance to Truly Achieve Them / Acceptance of Climate Goals in the EU is Eroding, and Internationally We Are No Role Model if We Don't Make Corrections


Next Wednesday, the European Commission intends to present a document with guidelines for the newly started mandate. A so-called Competitiveness Compass will outline the key foundations for policy and announce many individual measures. The main focus is on regaining competitiveness, reducing bureaucracy, and speeding up approval processes. "We urgently need this reorientation of European policy. Not only in Germany is the economy struggling. The member states in Germany, particularly the coalition government, bear a huge responsibility for the problems. However, the European Commission also needs to correct the direction of its policy. Many people, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, are suffering under excessive bureaucracy. In my view, this reorientation is by no means in conflict with the climate goals. I even see it as the last chance for us to be successful with our climate policy. Due to the many detailed rules and extremely long approval processes, acceptance of our climate goals is eroding within the European Union. If we do not address this, they will come under increasing attack. We as the EPP want to achieve the climate goals, but we want to do so with less bureaucracy, open technology, and while simultaneously strengthening competitiveness," said Peter Liese, the environmental policy spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP Christian Democrats).

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Paperwork is not environmental protection


“The resistance of the Social Democrats against the European Commission's plans for bureaucracy reduction is irresponsible”, stated the environmental policy spokesperson of the largest group in the European Parliament (EPP Christian Democrats), Peter Liese, in light of a letter from the Social Democratic group to Ursula von der Leyen ahead of the adoption of a paper from the Commission on Wednesday.

The Commission intends to present a guiding document for the direction of policy in the newly started legislative period under the title "Competitiveness Compass." The focus is on strengthening competitiveness and reducing bureaucracy. In a few weeks, a so-called "Omnibus" is to follow, which will aim to reduce bureaucracy in four specific laws (sustainability reporting, supply chain law, taxonomy, and border adjustment mechanism CBAM). The responsible members of the Social Democratic group have already reached out to Ursula von der Leyen in a letter against this proposal. In doing so, they contradict leading Social Democrats in Europe, such as Olaf Scholz, who are calling for exactly this bureaucracy reduction in these laws.

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Peter Liese: Climate policy in times of Trump 2.0 will be extremely challenging, but if we do it right, we can still make progress

“Climate policy in times of Trump 2.0 will be extremely challenging, but if we do it right, we can still make progress,” said the environmental policy spokesperson of the largest political group in the European Parliament (EPP, Christian Democrats), MEP Dr. Peter Liese, on the occasion of Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. “Trump is challenging us dramatically in terms of climate policy. I find it particularly worrying that major financial institutions have already terminated their membership in sustainability organizations before the inauguration. I have no doubt that Trump will withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, just as he did in his first term. Partly because of Trump and his expected anti-climate protection policy, I am unfortunately convinced that the 1.5 degree target cannot be maintained in the long term,” said Liese on Monday morning.

  1. 1.5-degree target cannot be achieved, also not in the long term, but every tenth of a degree counts
  2. Council Recommendation on Smoke-Free Environments
  3. Commission Should Withdraw Proposal for Smoke- and Aerosol-Free Environments
  4. Peter Liese after the hearings of the Commissioner candidates: Now everyone must take responsibility