Eurobrief February 2010

EDITORIAL NOx & SO2 trading: off to a bad start February 2010 - After it was abandoned in 2007 in the IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention & Control) review context, the idea to introduce a market based instrument for NOx & SO2 emissions abatement is, like the LochNess monster, showing its head again.

HEALTH AND SAFETY Disagreement over treatment of intermediates Disagreements between the European Commission and industry over the treatment of intermediates under REACH emerged at a recent meeting of the expert advisory group on REACH and classification, labelling and packaging (CARACAL).

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Transfer of carbon allowances proposal approved European Commission proposals to transfer carbon allowances recorded in national emission trading system registries to a single EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) registry from 2012 have been approved in the Climate Change Committee.

WASTE Commission study urges for waste implementation agency A European waste implementation agency should be established in order to improve waste management and reduce illegal activities, claims a European Commission study.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Commission to discuss auctioning carbon allowances The European Commission has prepared draft rules for auctioning CO2 allowances under the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) from 2013.

CEMBUREAU World Statistical Review 1996-2008 now available The World Statistical Review provides information on cement production, imports, exports, total per capita consumption and population on a worldwide country basis.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Draft Commission decision on CCS projects approved by Committee The latest version of the draft European Commission Decision on CCS (Carbon Capture & Storage) Demonstration Projects was approved by the Climate Change Committee on 2nd of February 2010.

OTHER NEWS Shifting gears for a new industrial policy On 26 February, the Alliance for a Competitive European Industry (ACEI), of which CEMBUREAU is a member, called for a new industrial partnership between the EU and its major industries.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME UK calls for carbon market intervention to stimulate investments A UK Parliamentary Committee has called for the power to intervene in the EU ETS if the system fails to encourage investments in cleaner energy.

OTHER NEWS Event: do you speak Sustainable Construction? Join us in Brussels on 20 May! A joint Architects Council of Europe /European Concrete Platform/Future Conversations...

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Value of EU ETS set to increase, says analyst The value of the EU emissions trading scheme (ETS) will increase by 38% this year to €95 billion due largely to utilities buying allowances to cover their emissions from 2013, says market analyst Point Carbon.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME EU carbon permits fall from seven week high EU carbon permits fell from a seven week high in February on account of falling gas prices.

ENVIRONMENT DG Energy and DG Climate Action created Two new Directorates-General: DG Energy (ENER) and DG Climate Action (CLIM) have been created within the European Commission.

ENVIRONMENT Council adopts first reading position on IPPC Recast The Council has adopted its position at first reading on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on Industrial Emissions (IPPC Recast).

ENVIRONMENT No binding criteria on biomass for heat and power generation The European Commission does not intend to come forward with a legislative proposal on legally binding sustainability criteria for biomass used to generate heat and power.

ENVIRONMENT EU Ecolabel rules enter into force Regulation (EC) No 66/2010 on the EU Ecolabel entered into force on earlier this month, following its recent publication in the EU’s Official Journal.

ENVIRONMENT European Council letter to UNFCCC on Copenhagen The European Council has written a letter to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) expressing its willingness to be associated with the Copenhagen Accord and the submission of the quantified economy-wide emissions reduction targets for 2020.

ENVIRONMENT Parliament adopts Copenhagen summit resolution The European Parliament adopted in Plenary a Resolution on the outcome of the Copenhagen summit.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Parliament second reading of energy performance of Buildings Directive postponed Council is expected to adopt its Common Position(incorporating the agreement reached with the European Parliament) in the first half of 2010.

HEALTH AND SAFETY New IUCLID now available Version 5.2 of the International Uniform Chemical Information Database is now available on the IUCLID website.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REACH registered substances database available ECHA and the European Commission held a round table meeting on 6 July 2009 to discuss which data from the Registration dossier could be made publically available.