European Commission - Daily News

European Commission - Daily News

Daily News 16 / 12 / 2021
Brussels, 16 December 2021
Les institutions de l'UE s'accordent sur les priorités de 2022 pour une UE résiliente et
redynamisée
Aujourd'hui, le président du Parlement européen David Sassoli, le Premier ministre slovène Janez
Janša, au nom de la présidence du Conseil, et la présidente de la Commission Ursula von der Leyen
ont signé la déclaration commune sur les priorités législatives de l'UE pour 2022. La déclaration
expose la vision commune des institutions pour une Europe transformée plus résiliente. Elle
démontre la détermination des institutions à donner à l'UE les moyens de sortir plus forte de la
pandémie de COVID-19 et des conséquences dramatiques du changement climatique et d'autres
crises internationales. La présidente von der Leyen s'est exprimée en ces termes: « L'Europe doit
apporter des solutions aux problèmes immédiats des citoyens, notamment dans le contexte de la
pandémie et de ses répercussions sur leur vie quotidienne, ainsi qu'aux défis à long terme que nous
devons affronter ensemble, tels que le changement climatique. Notre déclaration commune témoigne
de notre volonté de travailler ensemble sans relâche pour offrir des solutions à tous ces problèmes,
de la santé publique au changement climatique, en passant par la transformation numérique et une
prospérité économique globale. » La déclaration commune de ce jour met en lumière les propositions
législatives essentielles qui sont actuellement entre les mains des colégislateurs ou qui seront
présentées par la Commission européenne d'ici l'automne 2022. Elle engage les trois institutions à
accorder la priorité absolue à une série d'initiatives visant à concrétiser le pacte vert, à parvenir à
une Europe adaptée à l'ère du numérique, à créer une économie au service des citoyens, à rendre
l'Europe plus forte dans le monde, à promouvoir notre mode de vie européen et à protéger et
renforcer notre démocratie ainsi qu'à défendre nos valeurs européennes. Les trois institutions
entendent faire avancer autant qu'elles le peuvent les initiatives figurant dans la déclaration
commune d'ici la fin de 2022. Elles ont également affirmé leur détermination à donner suite aux
résultats de la conférence sur l'avenir de l'Europe menée par les citoyens. Les dirigeants des trois
institutions ont également salué les réalisations de 2021. Les institutions vont à présent travailler
ensemble sur la base de la déclaration de ce jour et du document de travail qui l'accompagne, lequel
énumère 138 propositions législatives essentielles. Un communiqué de presse est en ligne. (Pour
plus d'informations: Daniel Ferrie – Tel.: 32 229 86500; Sinéad Meehan-van Druten – Tel.: +32 229
84094)

Climate Action: Modernisation Fund invests nearly €900 million during first year of
operation
In its first year of operation, the Modernisation Fund made available €898.43 million to eight
beneficiary countries to help modernise their energy systems, reduce greenhouse gas emissions in
energy, industry, transport and agriculture and support them in meeting their 2030 climate and
energy targets. Investments were confirmed in Czechia (€320 million), Estonia (€24.59 million),
Croatia (€2.15 million), Hungary (€34.28 million), Lithuania (€28 million), Poland (€346.40 million),
Romania (€22.99 million), and Slovakia (€120 million). Executive Vice-President Frans
Timmermans said: “The Modernisation Fund is European solidarity in action. In its first year in
operation, it has provided concrete support to beneficiary countries, enabling them to reduce their
greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors. The Modernisation Fund thus helps to deliver the EU's
climate and energy targets and make the Green Deal a reality.” The Modernisation Fund is funded by
a percentage of the revenues from the auction of emission allowances from the EU's Emissions
Trading System, so that when the carbon price increases, revenues under the modernisation fund
also grow. This fund aims to support ten EU countries with lower-income in their transition to climate
neutrality by modernising their power sector and wider energy systems, boosting energy efficiency,
and facilitating a just transition. The beneficiary countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia,
Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia. The Commission proposed in July this
year to more than double the Modernisation Fund to address the distributional and social effects of
the accelerating transition away from fossil fuels. For more information please see here. (For more

information: Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel.: +32 229 74959)

Commission adopts Aid Programme for the Turkish Cypriot community worth more than
€30 million
The Commission is adopting today a new Annual Action Programme for the Turkish Cypriot
community. This Action Programme is worth a total amount of €30.7 million. Commissioner for
Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, said: “Our Aid Programme has consistently proven to bring
very tangible benefits to the people of Cyprus. This new set of projects seeks to support economic
development, reconciliation and confidence building measures including substantial assistance so
that Turkish Cypriot producers can benefit from the Halloumi/Hellim PDO package adopted in April
this year. Despite the current political situation, the programme remains as relevant as ever and we
will remain steadfast in our support to the reunification of the island.” Tailored measures are planned
to help the Turkish Cypriot producers benefit from the Halloumi/Hellim package. The programme also
includes continued support for green infrastructure and environment, in line with the European Green
Deal priorities. With a view to supporting confidence building measures in Cyprus, the programme
will continue to provide substantial financing for the Committee on Missing Persons and the Technical
Committee on Cultural Heritage. Further support will be offered to bi-communal Technical
Committees to help them carry out their activities more effectively. In addition, continuous support
for civil society will help to enhance island-wide cooperation between NGOs and inspire further bi-
communal activities, thereby contributing to the process of reunification. More details in our press
release. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Claire Joawn - Tel.: +32 229
56859)

Commission to invest more than €1 billion under the Connecting Europe Facility for
innovative and secure connectivity
The Commission adopted today the first Work Programme for the digital part of the Connecting
Europe Facility (CEF Digital), which defines the scope and objectives of the EU-supported actions
needed to improve Europe's digital connectivity infrastructures for three years. These actions will
receive more than €1 billion in funding (2021-2023). By fostering public and private investments,
CEF Digital will contribute to connectivity projects of common EU interest and to the deployment of
safe, secure and sustainable high-performance infrastructure, including Gigabit and 5G networks
across the EU. Improving Europe's connectivity infrastructure will be fundamental for achieving
Europe's digital transformation, as outlined in the ‘Path to the Digital Decade', and for ensuring that
all EU households have gigabit connectivity and all populated areas are covered by 5G by 2030.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said: “Investing in
cross-border connectivity will continue playing a key role in Europe's transformation and its
competitiveness. Improving networks and infrastructure will ensure Europe's citizens and businesses
can access new jobs, compete on new markets and strengthen their operations”. Thierry Breton,
Commissioner for the Internal Market, added: “Secure and fast connectivity is the pillar on which we
will build Europe's Digital Decade. It will give Europeans access to digital skills, let businesses
innovate and support the availability of unprecedented applications in fields such as health,
education and online public services”. The Connecting Europe Facility funding programme will also
strengthen connectivity networks by supporting new or improving existing backbone infrastructures
in the EU and with third countries. This is essential for the interconnection of digital capacities, such
as cloud, data and computing, which fit into the EU's ambition to remain digitally sovereign. More
information is available in this press release. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32
229 58615; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Commission to invest €673 million to roll out EU Missions in health, climate and the
environment
The European Commission has announced today 19 new calls, worth €673 million, that are dedicated
to the roll-out of EU Missions. Launched in September the five EU Missions aim to tackle big
challenges and achieve ambitious goals in health, climate and the environment by 2030. The calls
published today focus on several areas, such as: supporting regions and communities in their
journey to adapt to climate change; developing new methods and technologies in cancer screening
and early detection; restoring marine and fresh water ecosystems and biodiversity; upholding just,
sustainable, resilient and climate-neutral cities; validating and developing indicators for soil health;
and many more. This follows an amendment to the Horizon Europe work programme for 2021-2022,
increasing the total budget to €15.4 billion. That is an increase of €723 million compared to the
original budget of €14.7 billion. Out of this increase, €673 million will be dedicated to EU Missions,

while €50 million will be dedicated to climate, energy and mobility actions. The first round of the EU
Missions calls will open on 22 December 2021 and the second will open on 11 January 2022.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, said: “We are
further investing in EU missions, a new and innovative tool that aims to solve some of the greatest
challenges we face: fighting cancer, adapting to climate change, protecting the ocean, seas and
waters, living in greener cities and ensuring healthy soil and food”. Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for
Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, said: “Investing on EU missions will help us to
deliver on key policies, through a collective effort rooted in research and innovation. Missions will
create a healthier, greener and digital Europe for its citizens by 2030. The results of the calls will be
key to achieve the ambitious targets of EU Missions”. Missions are a novelty of Horizon Europe and
also an original concept in EU policy, bringing together several Commission services under the
authority of nine College members. They provide a mandate to achieve specific goals in a set
timeframe. They will deliver impact by putting research and innovation into a new role, combined
with new forms of governance and collaboration, as well as with a new way of engaging with citizens,
including young people. More information is available here. Climate change, environment / health are
also the topics of the next European Citizens' Panel of the Conference on the Future of Europe (in
Warsaw, Poland from 7-9 January 2022). Citizens will make recommendations in these areas for EU
leaders to follow up on. (For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 229 58615; Marietta
Grammenou – Tel.: +32 229 83583)

Erasmus+: un succès en 2020 malgré les restrictions
Le rapport annuel Erasmus+ 2020 publié aujourd'hui montre que le programme a favorisé près de
640 000 expériences d'apprentissage à l'étranger l'année dernière et financé 20 400 projets et
126 900 organismes malgré la pandémie de COVID-19. Le passage soudain à l'apprentissage en
ligne a démontré l'importance des solutions numériques à distance pour l'enseignement et
l'apprentissage. Erasmus+ continue de jouer un rôle essentiel dans la préparation des personnes et
des organismes, avec 200 millions d'euros mis à disposition l'an dernier spécifiquement pour la
transition numérique. En 2020, le budget total d'Erasmus+ s'est élevé à 3,78 milliards d'euros, soit
506 millions de plus qu'en 2019 qui correspondent à une augmentation de 15 %. Après 33 années
de mise en œuvre, Erasmus+ reste résilient, même dans le contexte difficile de 2020, ayant soutenu
un total de 11,7 millions de participants depuis son lancement en 1987. Erasmus+ est un
programme largement répandu du point de vue de la participation géographique. 34 pays y ont
participé en 2020: les 27 États membres de l'UE, plus le Royaume-Uni, l'Islande, le Liechtenstein, la
Norvège, la Macédoine du Nord, la Serbie et la Turquie. Le programme est également ouvert aux
pays partenaires du monde entier. Pour plus d'informations, veuillez consulter le rapport pour 2020,
notre communiqué de presse ou encore les fiches d'informations par pays. (Pour plus d'informations:
Sonya Gospodinova – Tél.: +32 229 66953; Célia Dejond – Tél.: +32 229 88199)

Commission adopts Recommendation to help companies calculate environmental
performance and manufacture more environmentally friendly products
Today, the Commission adopted a revised Recommendation on the use of Environmental Footprint
methods helping companies to calculate their environmental performance based on reliable,
verifiable and comparable information, and for other actors, such as public administrations, NGOs
and businesses to have access to such information. It will incentivise industry to manufacture
products that have a better environmental performance, helping the EU's European Green Deal and
circular economy ambitions. Commissioner for Environment, Fisheries and Oceans,
Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “The EU Environmental Footprint methods are the most reliable,
comparable and verifiable way to know the real environmental footprint of a product or organisation
to date. Europeans are increasingly aware of their own environmental footprint, and many want to
make environmentally friendly choices in their daily lives. These methods will help to improve
environmental performance and help achieve a truly clean and circular economy”. The Environmental
Footprint methods measure and communicate about the environmental performance of goods,
services and organisations across their whole lifecycle. They cover 16 environmental impacts,
including climate change, and impacts related to water, air, resources, land use and toxicity, and
give a comparison of environmental performances between similar products and companies active in
similar sectors. More information is in the news item. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.:
+32 229 66712; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)

European Green Deal: Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform kicks off
Today, the members of the Stakeholder Platform announced by the EU Action Plan: “Towards Zero

Pollution for Air, Water and Soil” met for the first time to start developing their 2022-2024 work
programme for implementing the Action Plan. The Commission launched the platform together with
the Committee of the Regions last June. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries
Virginijus Sinkevičius added: “The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform has an important role to play
in implementing our ambition of achieving zero pollution by 2050. There is a lot of work ahead of us.
We invite all stakeholders involved to develop and share good practices, and to seek synergies with
other relevant initiatives, be it the European Climate Pact, the Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform
or others.” The Zero Pollution Stakeholder Platform will help deliver on the flagship initiatives and
actions set out in the Zero Pollution Action Plan by bringing together actors from different
communities and areas of expertise, defining a common vision on how to achieve zero pollution
objectives, and developing and sharing good practices on cross-cutting topics. More information is in
the news item. (For more information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Célia Dejond – Tel.:
+32 229 88199)

Ivory trade: Commission updates rules to end most forms of ivory trade in the EU
Today, the Commission takes further steps aimed at effectively banning most forms of EU trade in
ivory, as announced in the Biodiversity Strategy for 2030. The adopted new measures reaffirm and
deliver on the EU's commitment to take further action against elephant poaching and ivory trafficking
globally. This additional step comes after the Commission adopted a proposal earlier this week for a
new EU Directive to crack down on environmental crime. Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans
and Fisheries Virginijus Sinkevičius said: “The world is losing wildlife at an incredible speed.
Thousands of elephants are killed every year, and their ivory is often sold internationally. To reverse
this global trend and to protect biodiversity, we must also do our work at home. With today's
measures, we are delivering on our promise to take further action against ivory trafficking, and
sending a clear signal that ivory in the EU can no longer be traded like other commodities and should
not be elsewhere too. We want to eliminate any remaining risk that activities in the EU indirectly
supply illegal ivory markets abroad.” The Commission's revised Guidance on the EU regime
governing ivory trade, adopted today, follow on measures already taken under the EU Action Plan
against Wildlife Trafficking to eradicate illicit ivory from the EU market. It suspends trade in raw ivory
on the EU market except for the exclusive purpose of repairing objects containing ancient ivory. For
more information, please consult our press release, and questions and answers. (For more
information: Vivian Loonela - Tel.: +32 229 66712; Célia Dejond – Tel.: +32 229 88199)

Protecting workers against cancer-causing chemicals: Commission welcomes political
agreement on fourth update of Carcinogens and Mutagens Directive
The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached by the European Parliament and the
Council today on better protecting workers from risks related to the exposure to carcinogenic and
mutagenic substances. To improve workers' protection against cancer, the Commission had proposed
in 2020 to further limit their exposure to cancer-causing chemicals. This initiative is also part of the
Commission's commitment to fight cancer under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan. Commissioner for
Jobs and Social rights, Nicolas Schmit, said: “Protecting workers is our priority. I congratulate the
Slovenian Presidency and the European Parliament for reaching a deal on the Carcinogens and
Mutagens Directive. This is an important step towards a higher protection of around 1 million workers
from dangerous chemical substances.” Under today's agreement to update the Carcinogens and
Mutagens Directive, around 1 million workers will benefit from greater safeguards due to the setting
of the occupational exposure limits for acrylonitrile and nickel compounds and the lowering of the
limits for benzene. The updated Directive will enter into force after the formal adoption by the co-
legislators. (For more information: Veerle Nuyts — Tel.: + 32 229 96302; Flora Matthaes — Tel.: +
32 229 83951)

Commission mobilises the textile industry to upskill and reskill workforce
Today, the textile industry has launched a Pact for Skills Partnership, supported by the European
Commission. This is a strong and timely signal for the textile, clothing, leather and footwear
industries to boost the sector's competitiveness. Supporting businesses and people in developing
new and additional skills will make full use of the job potential in the digital and green transitions.
This will be particularly important in the post-pandemic recovery phase given how severely the
ecosystem was impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative brings together industry associations,
companies, trade unions, vocational education/training providers and regional authorities. Members
committed to agree on specific objectives such as to increase the offer of apprenticeships in the
sector by 20% and support 10,000 SMEs in their digitalisation efforts as well as supporting gender

and age diversity, designing new educational processes to support the textile industry and other
commitments for upskilling and reskilling the workforce in the coming years. Commissioner for
Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “Small businesses in the textiles ecosystem often struggle to
attract and retain a talented and skilled workforce, which is detrimental to their competitiveness.
During the COVID-19 crisis, I also witnessed the resourcefulness and ingenuity of these companies.
So this Pact comes at the right moment for Europe to remain home to strong brands, creativity,
know-how and quality product”. Commissioner for Jobs and Social rights, Nicolas Schmit, said: “This
new skills partnership in the textile industry will play a crucial role in responding to the needs of
companies and workers. It will help them adapt to the fast-changing manufacturing requirements
and help workers meet the labour and skills demand in this ecosystem”. The EU Pact for Skills is one
of the flagship initiatives under the European Skills Agenda. One year on from its launch, nearly 500
organisations have pledged to reskill more than 1.5 million people in Europe under the Pact. The
initiative aims to mobilise resources and incentivise all relevant parties to take concrete action to
upskill and reskill the workforce. It does this by pooling efforts and setting up partnerships to
support the green and digital transitions as well as local and regional growth strategies. For more
information on the EU Pact for Skills here. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.: +32
229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300)

NextGenerationEU: La Commission européenne lance le tableau de bord de la reprise et de
la résilience
La Commission européenne a lancé le tableau de bord de la reprise et de la résilience, une
plateforme publique en ligne visant à présenter les progrès réalisés dans la mise en œuvre de la
facilité pour la reprise et la résilience (FRR) dans son ensemble ainsi que des différents plans
nationaux pour la reprise et la résilience. Le tableau de bord est avant tout un outil permettant de
présenter aux citoyens de l'UE des informations sur la mise en œuvre de la FRR de manière
transparente. Il servira également de base à l'élaboration des rapports annuels de la Commission sur
la mise en œuvre de la FRR et du rapport d'examen au Parlement européen et au Conseil, ainsi qu'au
dialogue sur la reprise et la résilience entre le Parlement et la Commission. Le site web du tableau de
bord de la reprise et de la résilience contient des sections consacrées à la réalisation des valeurs
intermédiaires et des valeurs cibles et aux décaissements au titre de la FRR. Il comprend également
des données spécifiques compilées par la Commission, telles que les dépenses par domaine d'action
et une ventilation des dépenses dans le secteur du numérique et dans les secteurs vert et social
dans le cadre de la facilité. Le tableau de bord fournit aussi des informations qualitatives au moyen
d'analyses thématiques de la mise en œuvre des plans dans des domaines d'action spécifiques. Le
tableau de bord contient deux types d'informations, à savoir les données collectées par la
Commission dans le cadre du suivi de la mise en œuvre des plans pour la reprise et la résilience et
les données collectées par les États membres sur 14 indicateurs communs de déclaration tels que
définis dans l'acte délégué sur la FRR du 2 décembre 2021. Un communiqué de presse est disponible
en ligne. (Pour plus d'informations: Veerle Nuyts – Tél.: +32 229 96302; Andrea Masini – Tél.: +32
229 91519)

European Clusters Panorama 2021: a comprehensive picture of economic activity across the
EU and industrial ecosystems
Today, the Commission published the 2021 edition of the European Cluster Panorama. European
clusters are groups of firms, related economic players, and institutions that are located near each
other and have reached a sufficient scale to develop specialised expertise, services, resources,
suppliers and skills. Today's report presents the state of play of clusters in Europe and the role they
play in fostering resilient, green and digital industrial ecosystems in regional economies. The report
gives a comprehensive picture of the concentration of economic activity and cluster organisations in
Member States based on sectoral data for employment and value-added across the 14 European
industrial ecosystems identified in the updated Industrial Strategy. The report comes with an
interactive mapping tool, which maps over 1,000 cluster organisations, and inspiring examples of
policies and practices to support clusters' mission through a Policy Toolkit. Clusters represent about
25% of EU employment and are located across 201 regions in Europe. Over 80% of European cluster
organisations support companies in their digital transition and more than 60% support the green
transition. The Commission integrates and activates clusters through the European Cluster
Collaboration Platform, which supports collaboration among clusters, internationalisation,
matchmaking, access to public and private funding, communication and advisory services. More
information on cluster policy is available here. (For more information: Sonya Gospodinova – Tel.:
+32 229 66953; Federica Miccoli – Tel.: +32 229 58300

Eastern Partnership Summit launches new and ambitious agenda
Yesterday, at the 6th Eastern Partnership Summit in Brussels, the European Union and EU Eastern
Partner countries reaffirmed their strong partnership, unity and solidarity. Together they agreed on a
Joint Declaration, which provides a blueprint for future action, based on a renewed agenda for the
Eastern Partnership focusing on recovery, resilience and reform. The Summit, held at the level of
Heads of State or Government, brought together the European Union institutions, represented by the
President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the European
Council, Charles Michel, the 27 European Union Member States, and the the leaders of Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine. They were joined by High
Representative/Vice-President, Josep Borrell. Leaders reiterated the importance of common values
as the core of the Partnership. President Ursula von der Leyen said: “The Eastern Partnership is of
major political importance for the European Union. Together we have launched a new, more
ambitious phase in our partnership to guide our work in these challenging times. The European Union
remains committed to strengthening the resilience of its Eastern partners in dealing with the
economic, social and health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also remain deeply
concerned about the destabilisation and violations international law that pose a threat to peace,
security and stability in the region.” The EU's support will be underpinned by a €2.3 billion Economic
and Investment plan in grants, blending and guarantees with a potential to mobilise up to €17
billion in public and private investments. In the margins of the Summit, the European Commission
and its partners made progress in a number of key sectors of cooperation, including signing a €35
million agreement with the Polish development bank to allow Team Europe as a whole to step up the
delivery of vaccines to the Eastern Partnership countries; an emergency support package for Moldova
of €60 million to help reduce the impact of rising gas prices; as well as a number of strategic
investments. President von der Leyen's remarks are available here. More information on the
Summit is available here and here. (Contacts: Eric Mamer – Tel.: +32 229 94073; Peter Stano –
Tel.: +32 229 54553; Ana Pisonero Hernández - Tel.: +32 229 54320; Paloma Hall Caballero – Tel.:
+32 22 685 60)

Pacte vert pour l'Europe: propositions de la Commission afin d'absorber, de recycler et de
stocker le carbone de manière durable
Hier la Commission a adopté une communication sur les cycles durables du carbone, qui explique
comment augmenter les absorptions de carbone dans l'atmosphère. Pour contrer les effets de nos
émissions de CO2, l'UE devra réduire drastiquement sa dépendance au carbone fossile, recourir plus
largement au stockage du carbone dans les sols agricoles afin de stocker davantage de carbone dans
la nature et mettre en avant des solutions industrielles pour absorber et recycler le carbone de façon
durable et vérifiable. La Commission présentera une proposition législative concernant
l'établissement d'un cadre réglementaire pour la certification des absorptions de carbone d'ici la fin
de 2022. Le Vice-Président Exécutif Frans Timmermans a présenté cette proposition lors d'une
conférence de presse hier. Vous trouverez de plus amples informations dans un Communiqué de
presse, des questions-réponses et une fiche d'information en lignes. Contacts (For more information:
Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602; Lynn Rietdorf – Tel.: +32 229 74959)

European Green Deal: Commission proposes to boost renovation and decarbonisation of
buildings
The Commission proposed yesterday to align the rules for the energy performance of buildings with
the European Green Deal and decarbonise the EU's building stock by 2050. This proposal will
facilitate the renovation of homes, schools, hospitals, offices and other buildings across Europe to
reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy bills, improving quality of life for millions of Europeans.
Yesterday's revision of the energy performance of buildings directive translates the Commission's
Renovation Wave Strategy into concrete legislative action. It is part of the Commission's “Fit for 55”
proposals to deliver on the European Green Deal, complementing the other components of the
package adopted in July 2021, and the European Climate Law. The Commission proposes that as of
2030 all new buildings must be zero-emission, and to harness the potential of faster action in the
public sector, all new public buildings must be zero-emission already as of 2027. When it comes to
renovations, new EU-level minimum energy performance standards are proposed, requiring the
worst-performing 15% of the building stock of each Member State to be upgraded from the Energy
Performance Certificate's Grade G to at least Grade F by 2027 for non-residential buildings and 2030
for residential buildings. This initial focus on the lowest performing buildings fulfils the twin objective
of maximising the potential for decarbonisation and for the alleviation of energy poverty. Moreover,
National Buildings Renovation Plans, which are to be fully integrated into National Energy and
Climate Plans, will need to include roadmaps for phasing out fossil fuels in heating and cooling by

2040 at the latest, along with a pathway for transforming the national building stock into zero-
emission buildings by 2050. Yesterday's proposal introduces a building ‘Renovation passport' that
provides owners a tool to facilitate their planning and a step-by-step renovation towards zero-
emissions level and supports the rollout of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in residential
and commercial buildings, among other measures. Alongside the package, the Commission has
published a Staff Working Document outlining possible scenarios for a transition pathway toward a
more resilient, greener and more digital construction ecosystem and with it, invites Member States,
industry stakeholders and all the other relevant actors to take active part in co-creating a vision for
the future of this ecosystem. A full press release, a Q&A and a factsheet is available online. (For more
information: Tim McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tel: +32 229 81325)

La Commission propose un nouveau cadre européen pour décarboniser les marchés du gaz,
promouvoir l'hydrogène et réduire les émissions de méthane
Hier, la Commission européenne a adopté une série de propositions législatives visant à décarboniser
le marché européen du gaz en facilitant l'adoption de gaz renouvelables et à faible émission de
carbone, y compris l'hydrogène, ainsi qu'à garantir la sécurité énergétique de tous les citoyens
européens. La Commission assure également le suivi de la stratégie de l'UE sur le méthane et de ses
engagements internationaux grâce à des propositions visant à réduire les émissions de méthane
dans le secteur énergétique en Europe et dans notre chaîne d'approvisionnement mondiale. L'Union
européenne doit décarboner l'énergie qu'elle consomme pour réduire les émissions de gaz à effet de
serre d'au moins 55% d'ici 2030 et devenir climatiquement neutre d'ici 2050, et ces propositions,
ainsi que le paquet législatif présenté le 14 juillet 2021, contribueront à atteindre cet objectif.
Concernant le paquet gaz, les propositions de la Commission (règlement et directive) créent les
conditions d'un passage du gaz naturel fossile aux gaz renouvelables et bas carbone, notamment le
biométhane et l'hydrogène, et améliorent la résilience du système gazier et renforcent les
dispositions existantes en matière de sécurité d'approvisionnement, comme promis dans la
communication et la boîte à outils sur les prix de l'énergie du 13 octobre, et comme demandé par les
États membres. L'un des principaux objectifs est d'établir un marché pour l'hydrogène, de créer un
environnement propice aux investissements et de permettre le développement d'infrastructures
dédiées, y compris pour les échanges avec les pays tiers. Les nouvelles règles faciliteront l'accès des
gaz renouvelables et à faible émission de carbone au réseau gazier existant, en supprimant les tarifs
pour les interconnexions transfrontalières et en abaissant les tarifs aux points d'injection. Une autre
priorité du paquet est l'autonomisation et la protection des consommateurs, car les consommateurs
devraient pouvoir choisir des gaz renouvelables et à faible émission de carbone plutôt que des
combustibles fossiles. En ce qui concerne le méthane, dans une toute première proposition
législative de l'UE sur la réduction des émissions de méthane dans le secteur de l'énergie, la
Commission exigera des secteurs du pétrole, du gaz et du charbon qu'ils mesurent, déclarent et
vérifient les émissions de méthane, et propose des règles strictes pour détecter et réparer fuites de
méthane et de limiter l'aération et le torchage. Il propose également des outils de surveillance
mondiaux garantissant la transparence des émissions de méthane provenant des importations de
pétrole, de gaz et de charbon dans l'UE, ce qui permettra à la Commission d'envisager d'autres
actions à l'avenir. Un communiqué de presse, deux questions-réponses sur les marchés intérieurs
des gaz naturel et renouvelable et de l'hydrogène et la réduction des émissions de méthane dans le
secteur de l'énergie et deux fiches d'information sur le rôle des gaz propres, y compris l'hydrogène,
et la réduction des émissions de méthane sont disponibles en ligne. (For more information: Tim
McPhie – Tel.: +32 229 58602; Ana Crespo Parrondo – Tel: +32 229 81325)

State aid: Commission approves €2 million Italian scheme to support management bodies
of speleological sites and caves affected by the coronavirus pandemic
The European Commission has approved a €2 million Italian scheme to support management bodies
of speleological sites and caves affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictive measures
that the Italian government had to implement to limit the spread of the virus. The measure was
approved under the State aid Temporary Framework. Under the scheme, the aid will take form of
direct grants. The aid amount per beneficiary will be calculated based on the difference between its
average monthly turnover during the period between 1 March and 31 December 2019 and the one
recorded during the period between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2021. The maximum aid
amount per beneficiary cannot exceed the difference between its revenues in 2019 and those in
2020. The purpose of the scheme is to help the beneficiaries address their liquidity needs and
continue their activities during and after the pandemic. The Commission found that the Italian
scheme is in line with the conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. In particular, the aid (i)
will not exceed €2.3 million per beneficiary; and (ii) will be granted no later than 30 June 2022. The

Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to remedy a
serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State, in line with Article 107(3)(b) TFEU and the
conditions set out in the Temporary Framework. On this basis, the Commission approved the
measure under EU State aid rules. More information on the Temporary Framework and other actions
taken by the Commission to address the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic can be found
here. The non-confidential version of the decision will be made available under the case number
SA.100724 in the State aid register on the Commission's competition website once any
confidentiality issues have been resolved. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229
87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.: +32 229 90526)

Mergers: Commission clears acquisition of joint control of Votener by Votorantim and CPP
Investments
The European Commission has approved, under the EU Merger Regulation, the acquisition of joint
control of Votener by Votorantim, both of Brazil, and CPP Investments of Canada. Votener is active in
the wholesale trade of electric energy in Brazil. Votorantim is active in a variety of business
segments, including cement and concrete, mining and metallurgy, concentrated orange juice,
chemical specialty markets, electric power generation and the financial sector. CPP Investments is an
investment management organisation that invests the funds of the Canada Pension Plan Fund. The
Commission concluded that the proposed acquisition would raise no competition concerns, because
Votener has no actual or foreseen activities within the territory of the European Economic Area. The
transaction was examined under the simplified merger review procedure. More information is
available on the Commission's competition website, in the public case register under the case
number M.10557. (For more information: Arianna Podesta – Tel.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tel.:
+32 229 90526)

Concentrations : La Commission autorise l'acquisition de RG Safety par Ardian France
La Commission européenne a approuvé, en vertu du règlement européen sur les concentrations,
l'acquisition du contrôle exclusif de RG Safety par Ardian France, toutes deux basées en France. RG
Safety est active dans la distribution d'équipements de protection individuelle et de produits
d'hygiène à destination de professionnels de divers secteurs, sous marques de fabricants et sous sa
propre marque, essentiellement en Europe. Ardian France est une société de capital-investissement
qui détient des intérêts dans des sociétés actives à travers le monde. La Commission a conclu que la
concentration envisagée ne soulèverait pas de problème de concurrence, dans la mesure où les deux
entreprises ne sont pas actives sur les mêmes marchés ou sur des marchés étroitement liés ou
complémentaires. La transaction a été examinée dans le cadre de la procédure simplifiée de contrôle
des concentrations. De plus amples informations sont disponibles sur le site internet concurrence de
la Commission, dans le registre public des affaires sous le numéro d'affaire M.10549. (Pour plus
d'informations: Arianna Podesta – Tél.: +32 229 87024; Maria Tsoni – Tél.: +32 229 90526)

Tentative agendas for forthcoming Commission meetings
Note that these items can be subject to changes.

Upcoming events of the European Commission
Eurostat press releases

The Spokesperson's Service has re-opened the Berlaymont press room to a limited number
of journalists. For more information, please see here.
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