The European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the Commission to make its upcoming COVID-19 economic recovery proposal fit for the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement goals. This echoes the Commission chief’s recent address to MEPs that the crisis exit should not return to yesterday’s economy, but invest in a clean, modern, and healthy economy.
“The European Parliament sends a clear message to the Commission as it is preparing its economic recovery plan of which the next long-term EU budget will be the main financial arm. Even in the name of urgency taxpayer’s money must not be burnt on outdated, polluting, and carbon-intensive projects. EU funds worth hundreds of billions have to be future-proof and invested in renewable energy, energy efficiency and the modernisation of all economic sectors to reach climate neutrality” reacted Markus Trilling, finance and subsidies policy coordinator at Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe.
Our recent report “Funding climate and energy transition in the EU: the untapped potential of regional funds” shows how little Member States use existing EU regional development funds to invest in clean energy infrastructure. Stronger earmarking of the next EU budget for the transition to climate neutrality and the exclusion of fossil fuels from the scope of all EU funds are crucial to allow for a sustainable and resilient recovery out of the COVID-19 economic downturn.
Trilling added: “The Commission must strengthen the climate and environmental safeguards of the next long-term EU budget. This entails increasing its climate action spending target to 40% and excluding all fossil fuels from EU funds.”
ENDS
Contact:
Nicolas Derobert, Head of communications, nicolas@caneurope.org, +32 483 62 18 88
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 170 member organisations active in 38 European countries, representing over 1.500 NGOs and more than 47million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.
