Eurobrief September 2010

EDITORIAL EU ETS – A Clinker Benchmark but ... September 2010 - In september, with just over 3 months to go if the end of year deadline is to be met, DG CLIMA revealed its intention in relation to the ETS benchmarks and allocation rules. On 8 September, a draft proposal went into interservices consultation, triggering an epic fight between DG CLIMA and DG ENTR.

HEALTH AND SAFETY News from Cimeurope: flue dust successfully registered under REACH The Lead Registrant for Flue dust from production of cement clinker, Italcementi S.p.A. has successfully registered this substance under REACH.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Allocation Rules in interservice consultation As part of the package proposed by DG CLIMA regarding the ETS (see this month’s Edito) the Allocation Rules went into interservices consultation on 8 September. Below is a brief summary of what is proposed.

OTHER NEWS Committee draft report on standardisation published The European Parliament’s Internal Market (IMCO) Committee adopted the draft report on the future of European standardisation on 29 September 2010. The report makes a number of changes, the most important being that the revision should be relatively low key in order not to undermine the core values of the current system.

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Proposal for EU ETS registries system unopposed The Council and European Parliament have not opposed the Draft Commission Regulation for a standardised and secured system of registries pursuant the EU Emission Trading Scheme (EU ETS).

EU EMISSIONS TRADING SCHEME Commission Communication on 30% GHG Emissions reduction target discussed in Council Working Party The Council Working Party on the Environment met earlier this month to discuss the Commission Communication on moving towards a 30% greenhouse gas emissions reduction target.

ENVIRONMENT Is NOx and SO2 trading smart policy? On 30 September, BUSINESSEUROPE (the Confederation of European Business, organised a seminar entitled “Is NOx and SO2 trading smart policy?”. Interventions by representatives from industry, the European Environment Bureau, the European Parliament and the German Ministry for the Environment made it clear that they do not believe it is.

ENVIRONMENT Second Energy Products Taxation Directive impact assessment in preparation The Commission is working on the second impact assessment on the proposal to review the energy products taxation Directive. The adoption of the proposal by the Commission has been postponed until the end of the year 2010, and the exact timetable remains uncertain.

ENVIRONMENT Common methodology for setting binding energy targets demanded The EU needs investment in grid infrastructure and a common methodology for setting binding targets for energy efficiency, according to the European Parliament's rapporteur on the energy strategy for Europe, Lena Kolarska-Bobiñska.

ENVIRONMENT Green Energy funding backed by Parliament's Industry Committee Projects designed to improve energy efficiency could get up to €115 million in EU funds that would otherwise go unspent following the European Parliament’s approval of European Commission proposals for further funding under the European Energy Recovery Programme (EERP).

ENVIRONMENT Parliament urges EU Strategy to promote green jobs The European Parliament has asked the Commission to develop a strategy to encourage the creation of green jobs in Europe by 2011.

ENVIRONMENT Parliament presents Energy Efficiency Study at workshop A study commissioned by the European Parliament on measures and actions to be undertaken in energy efficiency policy was presented at a workshop earlier this month.

ENVIRONMENT Belgian Presidency and European Commission tackle Biodiversity Post-2010 The Belgian presidency of the European Union held a conference on Biodiversity in a changing world earlier this month in Ghent, Belgium. The event was attended by the European Minerals Day partners, including CEMBUREAU, who were present with a stand, highlighting the positive contribution of the non-energy extractive industries to biodiversity.

ENVIRONMENT 2020 Energy Efficiency goal not being met, says ECF The European Climate Foundation (ECF) has warned that the EU’s 2006 energy efficiency action plan is failing to meet Europe’s 20% goal for 2020.

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Financial incentives for Energy Efficiency in Buildings most cost effective Financial incentives for efficiency improvements in buildings are much more cost-effective than other non-traded carbon abatement measures, according to a new report from the European Alliance of Companies for Energy Efficiency in Buildings (EuroACE).

BUILDINGS & BUILDING MATERIALS Council adopts first reading position on Construction Products Dirctive The European Council adopted its position at first reading on the Construction Products regulation by qualified majority on 13 September 2010. The Bulgarian and Polish delegations voted against.

HEALTH AND SAFETY REACH: Implementation of the CLP Regulation: CEMBUREAU produces C&L and SDS Package This package, produced by CEMBUREAU, contains a proposal, as approved by the CEMBUREAU board on 28 September, for the classification and labelling of Portland cement clinker and common cements under the new Regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (CLP, Regulation 1272/2008).

HEALTH AND SAFETY CEMBUREAU paper on REACH and recovered substances CEMBUREAU has prepared a paper which explains how companies manufacturing a recovered substance should go about using the exemption from registration for recovered substances (Art 2.7 (d)).