The Council Has Adopted the Climate-Energy Package

The Council of the European Union has formally adopted the climate-energy package, and it may now be published in the OJ.

There are six measures in the package:

1. A directive setting a common EU framework for the promotion of
energy from renewable sources. The goal is to achieve by 2020 a 20% share of energy from renewable sources in the EU’s final consumption of energy and a 10% share of energy from
renewable sources in each member state’s transport energy consumption.

2. A revised Emissions Trading System (ETS) for greenhouse gases. GHG emissions permits will no longer be given to industry for free, but be auctioned by Member States from 2013 onwards.

3. Binding emissions targets for EU member states in sectors not subject to the ETS.

4. A regulation setting the first legally-binding standards for CO2 emissions from new passenger cars, to apply as of 2012.

5. New environmental quality standards for fuels and biofuels. The revised directive introduces for the first time a reduction target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fuels. Petrol may have a higher biofuel content. Stringent environmental and social sustainability criteria for biofuels are introduced.

6. A regulatory framework for carbon capture and storage.