Eurobrief April 2010

EDITORIAL The Commission's Green Agenda April 2010 - Climate Change and related EU measures and policies omnipresent in European Commission strategic Priorities for 2010.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REACH - ECHA publishes REACH Annex V Guidance document ECHA has published the Guidance document for Annex V of REACH. Annex V covers exemptions from registration.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME IFIEC calls for adequate compensation of power price impact In a statement released earlier this month, IFIEC (the International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers) has indicated that additional costs to EU industry in terms of higher electricity prices resulting from the EU ETS amount to about 8.5 billion € annually.

WASTE Review of EU recycling Directives to begin in 2012 The Commission will begin a full review of EU recycling Directives in 2012, according to the Commission’s 2010 Work Programme, which was published on 31 March 2010.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Member States to have opt-out from single EU platform for CO2 auctioning Member States will have the opportunity to opt out of a single EU platform for auctioning CO2 allowances under the EU’s Emission Trading System (ETS) from 2013, according to a proposal for a Regulation adopted by the European Commission this month.

CEMBUREAU Join us at Green Week Running from 1 – 4 June, the theme of this year’s Green Week is biodiversity.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Drop in emissions from EU ETS installations in 2009 There was an overall 11% drop in emissions from installations regulated under the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2009, according to the European Commission.

ENVIRONMENT Environment Committee debates CCS financing draft decision The Greens/EFA group in parliament has withdrawn its objection to the Draft Commission Decision laying down criteria on financing carbon capture and storage (CCS) and renewable demonstration projects following assurances from the Commission that renewable energy projects will get an equal share of available funding.

ENVIRONMENT Council adopts Common Position on energy labelling Directive The Council has adopted its Common Position on the proposal for a Directive on energy labelling. This Directive would apply to energy-related products which have a significant direct or indirect impact on the consumption of energy and, where relevant, on other essential resources during use.

ENVIRONMENT Commission cautious over potential benefits of carbon pricing Carbon pricing and taxes on financial transactions can help raise government revenues and improve market efficiency, claims a European Commission working paper on innovative financing.

ENVIRONMENT Commission backs targets for EU biodiversity strategy Measurable sub-targets must be set to ensure a viable future biodiversity strategy, the Commission said at a recent workshop organised by the Green Group in the European Parliament.

ENVIRONMENT Citizens not informed about biodiversity loss: study Many Europeans do not understand what is meant by biodiversity and do not feel well informed about biodiversity loss, according to a Eurobarometer survey published by the European Commission.

ENVIRONMENT Commission launches tender on Eco-design Directive study The Commission has launched a tender for a study on the amended working plan under the Eco-design Directive.

ENVIRONMENT Amendments to draft recommendation on IPPC Recast published Parliament’s Rapporteur, Holger Krahmer (EPP, Germany), on the on the proposal for a Directive on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) has published 353 Amendments to the draft recommendation for a second reading.

ENVIRONMENT Commission launches tender for study on IPPC penalties The Commission has launched a call for tender for a study on the provisions on penalties related to legislation on industrial installations.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Council adopts Common Position on building energy performance proposal The Council adopted its Common Position on the proposal for a Directive on the energy performance of buildings on 14 April.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Commission considers possible water performance of buildings Directive The Commission is considering a proposal for a Directive on the water performance of buildings according to the Commission’s 2010 Work Programme, which was published on 31 March 2010.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Council Working Party discusses future construction products Regulation The Council Working Party on Technical Harmonisation discussed the proposal to revise the construction products Directive on 12 April 2010 and turn it into a Regulation.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REACH - 2010 registration: list of substances identified The list of substances which companies intend to register under REACH in 2010 has been published by ECHA.