The European Commission presents new plans for industrial competitiveness, access to critical raw materials and the electricity market this week. The Council of Europe reports that Slovakia has failed to implement recommendations by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI). Austria and six other Schengen countries raise the alarm about the onward movement of migrants within the EU.
The European Union is currently working on a draft directive aimed at transforming the majority of existing residential buildings into zero-emission buildings by 2050. Since early February, internet users have claimed that this directive “provides for the expropriation” from 2030 of owners not carrying out the energy renovation work required to achieve this goal, by not allowing them to “live in their own house or to rent it out”. In reality, the directive does not provide for any set penalty, as these are to be set out by the individual member states. A ban on renting out property that is too energy-intensive already exists in France, but owners can currently still live in the homes. In Belgium, the main penalties against owners reluctant to renovate are administrative fines and rent indexation bans.
Ahead of the European Commission’s presentation of reform plans on the European electricity market as well as plans to boost Europe’s competitiveness, the European Newsroom (enr) spoke with Ursula von der Leyen on what to expect on the proposals.
European rules oblige member states to keep their budget deficit below 3 percent of GDP. However, there was an exemption in place during the pandemic, which expires at the end of 2023. The EU states want to provide Ukraine with urgently needed artillery ammunition for the fight against Russia as quickly as possible. Austria will participate in an EU mission in Niger.
A vote on the EU’s de facto sales ban for combustion engine cars has been postponed in the Council of the EU after several nations cast doubt on the decision, thereby unsettling part of the EU’s package to tackle climate change.