Greening the European Semester: Concrete outcome and ongoing challenges towards the 2015 cycle

Louis Meuleman, ENV Coordinator European Semester

European Commission – DG Environment

Expert Group Greening the European Semester 18 September 2014

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

Content

1. Looking back: the 2014 Semester cycle

2. New setting: the incoming new Commission

3. Looking forward: the 2015 Semester cycle

1. Looking back:

the 2014 Semester cycle

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

Results of the 2014 Semester in terms of SWD & CSR environmental references

SWDs 2014: country-specific analysis

Number of references 2013 SWD 2014 SWD ∆ ∆% Did we have better data?

Environmental taxation 18 22 4 22% new study EFR 12 MSs

Waste 17 20 3 18% updates existing data

Air pollution 5 17 12 240% air quality review IA data

Env. harmful subsidies 8 13 5 63% new study EFR 12 MSs

Traffic congestion & transport 4 12 8 200% link with air pollution

Circular economy/Res.efficiency 6 12 6 100%

Floods 0 11 11 new new study floods

Water 7 11 4 57% new study water/economy

Impact assessments 2 6 4 200% Indirect relevance for env

SME resource efficiency 2 4 2 new new study SMEs

Other topics 7 10 3

Total nr of references: 76 138 62

Increase ENV ref. 2013->2014: 82%

Environment in the 2014 SWDs per topic

CSRs 2014: Country-specific political assessment

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

Results of the 2014 Semester in terms of SWD and CSR environmental references.

CSRs with environmental topics (one CSR may have more than 1 ENV topic):

Waste management BG, EE, PL 3 PL 1

Water management BG, PL 2 0

Flood protection 0 0

Environment taxation BE, CZ, ES, FR,

HU, IT, LT, LU,

LV, RO

10 BE, CZ, ES, IE, FR,

HU, IT, LT, LU, LV

10

Environmentally harmful

subsidies

0 BE, FR, IT 3

Transport/congestion

incl./or air pollution

MT 1 BE, EE 2

16 16

CSRs on the Climate & Energy headline targets, related to environment:

Non-ETS GHG reductions BE, LU 2 BE, LU 2

Energy efficiency BG, CZ, EE, FI,

LT, LV, MT, PL,

SK 9

BG, CZ, EE, ES, FR,

HU, IE, IT, LV, LT, LU

11

Renewable energy DE, MT, UK 3 DE, MT, UK 3

Energy infrastructures BG, DE, EE, IT,

LT, LV, MT, PL,

RO, SK 10

BG, DE, EE, IT, LT, LV,

PL, PT, RO, SK

10

24 26

Adopted 2013 Adopted 2014

Adopted 2013 Adopted 2014

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

Results of the 2014 Semester: Some lessons learned

• SWDs are important, not only as basis for CSR;

• Underpinning data need to be ‘fresh’ -> difficult on many environmental topics;

• Data need to be followed-up by monitoring;

• For recognition in Semester, environmental topics must be linked to other economic/social topics

• Consider focus on small number of env. topics

• Semester as multi-actor governance: more involvement of Parliaments, NGOs and private sector really works

[Also useful for national NRP preparation?]

2. New setting: The incoming

new Commission

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

• Scarcity of resources mentioned as important challenge

• Strong climate and energy agenda

• ‘Matrix’ organisation with big projects (VPs)

• Semester process remains

• First product new Commission: Annual Growth Survey 2015 (November)

New Commission: new opportunities: the glass is at least half full

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Karmenu Vella ENV & MARE & FISH

Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete CLIMA & ENER

Vice-President for Energy Union Alenka Bratušek

Vice-President for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness Jyrki Katainen

Green Growth & Jobs?

3. Looking forward: the 2015

Semester cycle

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

• New studies (-> ready 01.01.2015) on environmental tax reform and on potential benefits of impact assessments -> later today

• New data on water, waste and air -> see break-out sessions later today

• Work together on semi-permanent monitoring of implementation of env. policies/legislation -> towards a data stream at least annual

• Work together on concentrating on few key topics per MS to make the case for the Semester

Data

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

• Eurostat data collection: answer to the call for resource productivity indicator in the 7th EAP and CE Communication:

Data

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

• Need to have not only data on benefits of environmental policies but also on the costs of not implementing them (opportunity costs)

Data

EC ENV LM 18.09.2014

• Taking into account the big variety of economic, social, tax systems and environmental pressures in the MSs, there will never be a 'one size fits all' approach;

• So the 'menu' of options presented at 1st Exp.Group is still valid, e.g.:

Topics

Waste management

Water management

Costs of flooding

Green infrastructure

Natural cap. Account.

Tax shift labour->env Env. harmful subs.

Better price signals Air pollution costs

Traffic congestion

Land as resource

Green jobs

Eco-innovation

Eco-innovation

Circular economy

Resource efficiency

Green investments

GPP SCP

Encore (1):

Green Public Procurement

… GPP is voluntary tool with some exceptions

• Energy Star Regulation (2008): obligation to buy

Office equipment at least as efficient as the Energy Star

• Clean Vehicles Directive (2009):

obligation to buy environmental friendly vehicles

(taking at least CO2, PM10, NOx and NMHC)

• Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (2010):

Obligations for central governments in purchasing and renting

buildings

• Energy Efficiency Directive (2012): obligation to purchase energy efficient buildings and equipment

of the highest energy labelling class, only for central government

Out of 19 MS providing information,

• 8 MS have GPP mandatory criteria for certain product/service categories (national/regional/local level)

• 2 MS are currently discussing the adoption of mandatory GPP

• 1 MS has a mandatory general objective on sustainable development

• 8 MS do not have obligations on GPP

Mandatory GPP in MS

7th Environmental Action Programme and European Resource Efficiency Platform Recommendations

• Evaluate options for further sector specific legislation • Set up more solid GPP monitoring system

• Promote networking of public procurers

Future developments of GPP

Encore (2):

Environmental data availability

European semester - Key data Eurostat database: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/europe_2020_indicators/headline_indicators/data

Headline Europe 2020 indicators

Resource Efficiency Scoreboard

Eurostat publications:

Smarter, greener, more inclusive? - Indicators to support the Europe 2020 strategy - 2013 edition

News releases & Statistics explained: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/eurostat/home/

Additional environmental data Waste, air

pollution, floods, eco-innovation, environmental taxation, …

Resource efficiency / Circular economy

The Resource Efficiency Scoreboard includes: Lead indicator : Resource productivity Dashboard indicators on carbon, land and water Thematic indicators on biodiversity, taxes, waste, etc. Sectoral indicators on energy, food and transport

Available as:

Eurostat database RE scoreboard Highlights 2014 RE Scoreboard Report 2014 (soon)

Key data are published by Eurostat, as European Data Centre for natural resources: htpp://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/data_centre_natural_resources/introduction Resource Efficiency Scoreboard: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/portal/page/portal/europe_2020_indicators/ree_scoreboard

Environmental Data Centre

• Key environmental data for EU are produced by 3 partners • 10 Environmental Data Centres Eurostat – Data centres for Waste Natural resources

JRC – Data centres for

Soil Forest Integrated Product Policy

European Environment Agency – Data centres for

Climate change Air Biodiversity Land use Water

Thank you for your attention

Questions, answers?