With a looming winter gas crisis, the EU doesn’t need an empty symbol of solidarity
EU energy ministers’ recent ‘political agreement’ on natural gas was touted as an example of European unity and solidarity. It might be a show of political unity but there was very little substance on display. The essence of the agreement is a ‘voluntary reduction of natural gas demand by 15 % for this winter’. Moreover, it […]
Unpacking the sense and nonsense behind energy price caps
A tense debate is taking place on what to do about spiralling gas and oil prices. A special meeting of the European Council on energy was originally scheduled for the autumn but is now being brought forward. Meanwhile, the European Commission is working on an emergency plan to prepare for a complete cut-off of Russian […]
Think basins, not borders
Following the outbreak of the energy price crisis in late 2021 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, offshore wind has gained strategic importance in the EU as a renewable energy source well suited to substituting natural gas in the mid-term. Offshore wind could have even greater significance for the Black Sea coast, considering the […]
A transformational moment?
It is often said that the EU is forged in crisis. After weathering what feels like so many crises over the past 15 years, the EU’s swift and decisive response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine has, for the most part, been welcomed as the EU finally getting a crisis right. In the first weeks of the […]
Climate change, ageing societies and the sustainability promise
Will 2050 mark a turning point in human history when the human population has reached its peak and innovation has allowed us to put fossil fuels and mining in the past? Technology optimists make the case that high-performance products can be made by recycling scrap metal. Will the drive towards climate neutrality ensure prosperity for […]
CEPS Expert Briefing: informal meeting of EU leaders
The French Presidency has convened EU leaders for an informal summit on 10 and 11 March with a significant shift in the substance of the meeting, given Russia’s war on Ukraine. On the agenda: EU enlargement, sovereignty and defence. How to revise the EU’s enlargement process, following the application for EU membership by three DCFTA […]
Is renewable hydrogen a silver bullet for decarbonisation?
Clean hydrogen will offer decarbonisation solutions for sectors where direct electrification would be either technologically impossible or too costly, though future demand should not be overestimated. Hydrogen will most likely be used in hard-to-decarbonise industrial processes, some segments of the transport sector, as well as for long-term energy storage. For hydrogen to contribute to decarbonisation, […]
Is EU Joint Gas Purchasing really a bad idea?
The EU and its Member States are struggling with the growing political fallout of what some are calling the ‘energy price crisis’. Various governments are reacting with transfers, tax reductions or tax holidays to help embattled consumers and businesses. When looking at longer-term solutions, some proposed ideas have included the joint purchasing of gas (similar […]
The Green transition, finance and biodiversity
The urgency to succeed in financing the energy transition and reorienting private capital to sustainable investments requires a comprehensive shift in how the financial system works. The role of major market participants, investors, and policymakers in facilitating this shift is essential. To develop more green and sustainable economic growth, there is a need to: broaden […]
Fit for 55 – is the European Green Deal really leaving no-one behind?
This week the European Commission will publish ‘Fit for 55’ – the package intended to set the EU on the path to a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction of 55% by 2030 and, ultimately, climate neutrality by 2050. The package will contain more than a dozen legislative proposals, both for new and existing laws. It […]
From coal to low carbon
The Covid-19 crisis has laid bare the vulnerability of coal regions. Economic recovery and associated funding, as well as the need for new low-carbon solutions, offers a unique opportunity to address the transition of coal regions. The combination of worsening economics of coal and the increasingly universal move towards carbon neutrality makes redeveloping coal regions […]
Technical assistance on assessing the effectiveness of the implementation of the definition of small and medium-sized enterprises for the purposes of Article 8(4) of the Energy Efficiency Directive
This study evaluates the scope of Article 8(4) of the Energy Efficiency Directive. Companies that are not small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as defined in EU Recommendation 2003/361/EC1 are currently required to conduct an energy audit every four years. For both the companies concerned and the implementing authorities, it is difficult to determine whether a […]