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☆ EU's von der Leyen pledges more support for wind industry
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers the State of the European Union address to the European Parliament, in Strasbourg, France, September 13, 2023. We will focus on skills, access to finance and stable supply chains," von der Leyen said in a speech to the European Parliament on Wednesday. But Europe's offshore wind power industry has warned governments it is not big enough to deliver green power goals and requires a jump in policy support to get on track - particularly if new wind farms are to be manufactured in Europe. "The future of our clean tech industry has to be made in Europe," von der Leyen said. Von der Leyen vowed to "stay the course" on Europe's green agenda, promising talks with industries - including agriculture - concerned about their role in the green transition.

Persons: Ursula von der Leyen, Yves Herman Acquire, von der Leyen, Eurelectric, von der, Von der Leyen, Kate Abnett, Gabriela Baczynska, Louise Heavens Organizations: European, European Union, REUTERS, Renewables, Energy, Thomson Locations: Strasbourg, France, Europe, BRUSSELS, EU

☆ EU Parliament passes bill hiking renewable energy targets
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The law significantly raises the EU's renewable energy targets, requiring 42.5% of EU energy to be renewable by 2030, replacing a current 32% target for that date. It faced a tough passage through negotiations among EU countries' governments, and only secured support after France won carve-outs for nuclear energy - which is low-carbon, but not renewable. EU countries and lawmakers had negotiated a deal on the renewable energy law in March which was supposed to be final, but was held up by countries seeking greater recognition of nuclear power. A Commission spokesperson said on Tuesday it was aware of the difficulties and was in touch with renewable energy manufacturers to discuss possible solutions. Europe got 22% of its energy from renewable sources in 2021, the latest year for which official EU data are available.

Persons: Pascal Rossignol, Markus Pieper, Pieper, Kate Abnett, Ed Osmond, David Evans Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Union, France, European, EU, Thomson Locations: Bevillers, France, Rights BRUSSELS, EU, Brussels, China, Europe

☆ What is the world's first 'global stocktake' on climate change?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRUSSELS, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Nearly 200 countries meeting at this year's United Nations COP28 climate change summit will assess just how far off track they are from meeting promises to stop global warming as part of a process called the "global stocktake". The global check-in on what countries have done, so far, to prevent more disastrous climate change - is scheduled to be released on Friday. It is expected to be politically divisive, and could set the stage for the next few years of global action to slash the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change. NOT ON TRACKCountries already know what the global stocktake will say: they are not on track. Diplomats say some developing countries have indicated in recent U.N. climate talks that the stocktake should focus on pressuring wealthy nations to step up.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Sultan al, Jaber, Kate Abnett, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Paris, United Nations, United Arab, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Czech, Provatonas, Evros, Greece, Rights BRUSSELS, Nations, Paris, United Arab Emirates

☆ Dutch pick for EU climate job to face tough hearing
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-25 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Hoekstra needs to win a positive assessment from the EU Parliament and pass a potentially close vote in the assembly with majority support. If appointed, Hoekstra is expected to assume responsibility for climate change policies in the EU Commission. He belongs to the Dutch Christian-Democratic CDA party, part of the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament. Bas Eickhout, a Green EU lawmaker, said Hoekstra would need to prove his commitment to Europe's climate change agenda. He'll have a tough time convincing the European Parliament that he's the right man for the job," said Paul Tang, a Dutch Socialist member of the EU Parliament.

Persons: Wopke Hoekstra, Hoekstra, Frans Timmermans, Timmermans, Maros Sefcovic, Eickhout, Hoekstra's, Paul Tang, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Giles Elgood Organizations: EU, Parliament, Dutch Christian, Democratic CDA, European People's Party, EPP, EPP Group, Green Deal, European, Socialist, Dutch Finance, Socialists, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Netherlands, Dutch, Europe, EU, The Hague, New EU, Bas, Southern Europe, Spain, Italy

☆ Campaigners threaten EU with legal action over climate policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-24 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The EU law in question is one of more than a dozen policies designed to reduce the bloc's net emissions by 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels. That is one of the most ambitious climate targets of any major economy, but the campaigners want it lifted to 65%. The European Commission is examining the request, a spokesperson said. "The Commission does not consider this implementing decision to be in breach of fundamental rights," the spokesperson added, referring to the EU law. All EU countries have approved the collective 55% emissions target, which is fixed into law.

Persons: Andreas Linsbauer, Andrea Millhaeusler, Arnd, Romain Didi, Didi, Kate Abnett, William Maclean, Devika Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Environmental, European Commission, Union, EU, Reuters, European, Thomson Locations: Pontresina, Switzerland, Europe, Brussels, EU, Paris

☆ How climate change drives heatwaves and wildfires in Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-17 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Here's how climate change drives these events. FINGERPRINTS OF CLIMATE CHANGETo find out exactly how much climate change affected a specific heatwave, scientists conduct "attribution studies". CLIMATE CHANGE DRIVES WILDFIRESClimate change increases hot and dry conditions that help fires spread faster, burn longer and rage more intensely. The study found that human-induced climate change played an absolutely overwhelming role in the extreme heatwaves that swept across North America, Europe and China in July. But scientists concur that without steep cuts to the greenhouse gases causing climate change, heatwaves, wildfires, flooding and drought will significantly worsen.

Persons: Alexandros Avramidis, Friederike Otto, Sonia Seneviratne, Seneviratne, Rhodes, Copernicus, Mark Parrington, Victor Resco de, Kate Abnett, Gloria Dickie, Katy Daigle, Barbara Lewis, Josie Kao, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Firefighters, REUTERS, Rights, United Nations, Imperial College London, ETH Zurich, Union, Spain's Lleida University, Thomson Locations: Sesklo, Greece, Europe, Spain, France, Netherlands, Paris, North America, China, Victor Resco de Dios

☆ Factbox: Resistance to green policies around Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Kuba Stezycki/File PhotoAug 10 (Reuters) - Europe faces growing pushback against policies to address climate change and protect the environment, causing its green agenda to start to fray as severe heatwaves and wildfires rage. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak last month warned of climate policies that "unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs", days after his ailing Conservatives unexpectedly clinched a local election after opposing charges for the most polluting vehicles. Riding a wave of protests against the government's environmental policies, it unexpectedly beat the conservative VVD party in regional elections in March. POLANDPoland's government, long conservative on environmental policies at home and facing elections in October, has gone a step further by suing Brussels. The row has helped propel the far-right Alternative for Germany to second place in the polls.

Persons: Kuba, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Mark Rutte, Kate Abnett, Sarah Marsh, Gloria Dickie, Anthony Deutsch, Angelo Amante, Pawel, Susanna Twidale, William James Organizations: REUTERS, Union, EU, BRITAIN, Conservatives, Farmer, Movement, Justice, Greens, Thomson Locations: Gryfino, Poland, Europe, ITALY, Italy, BRITAIN Britain, Britain, NETHERLANDS, POLAND, Brussels, GERMANY, Germany, Berlin, Bremen, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Warsaw

Poland's government, which faces October elections, is even suing Brussels over climate policies. Britain has already quickly gone from being a leader on the world stage to looking quite weak on green policies, he said. CITIZENS, BUSINESSESEurope's green policies are still more credible than U.S. ones, given see-sawing between electoral cycles in the United States, some analysts said. Rows over green policies have propelled right-wing populist parties to second place in both Dutch and German polls. "Otherwise citizens might start to feel that climate policy is always financially overwhelming and bad, and that sentiment is then exploited by populists."

Persons: Timm Reichert, Virginijus Sinkevicius, Sinkevicius, Anna Moskwa, Nathalie Tocci, Mats Engström, GREEN, Bob Ward, Ward, Rishi Sunak, Rob Jetten, Nina Scheer, Simone Tagliapietra, Tagliapietra, Kate Abnett, Sarah Marsh, Gloria Dickie, Anthony Deutsch, Angelo Amante, Pawel, Susanna Twidale, William James, Alexnder Smith Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, Reuters, European People's Party, European Council, Foreign, United States, Grantham Research, London School of Economics, Political, Climate, Energy, Democrats, Thomson Locations: Gruenberg, Germany, EU, BERLIN, BRUSSELS, Netherlands, Brussels, Europe, United States, Grantham, India, China, Britain, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Rome, Warsaw

During Greece's peak power demand this year, also on July 24, solar photovoltaics covered 3.5GW of the total 10.35GW demand, grid operator IPTO said. Even in cooler and less sunny western countries such as Belgium, solar energy has covered more than 100% of the extra energy needed during midday spikes in power demand. Analysts say a second factor has helped to keep Europe's energy systems running this summer: overall, power demand has been relatively low. That has been the case since Europe's energy crisis last year, when Russia cut gas deliveries to Europe. "The only reason why this has been bearable is the low power demand environment that we're currently in," Refinitiv's Gerl said.

Persons: Nicolas Economou, Kristian Ruby, Electrica, Nathalie Gerl, IPTO, Spain's, Refinitiv's Gerl, Simone Tagliapietra, Kate Abnett, Susanna Twidale, Barbara Lewis Organizations: REUTERS, Analysts, Energy, European Commission, SolarPower, Thomson Locations: Rhodes, Greece, Europe, BRUSSELS, LONDON, Spain, Ukraine, Catania, Etna, Sicily, Athens, Belgium, Russia

Britain exported more than 2.5 million tonnes of steel to Europe last year, UK Steel said. That trade would face the CO2 levy, unless Britain matched the EU's carbon pricing policies or linked its carbon market to the bloc's. Without a market link, Energy Aspects expects UK carbon prices to trade below EU CO2 prices until the late 2020s - exposing UK firms to the EU's border levy. In 2026, when the EU carbon border levy will kick in, Energy Aspects expects the UK CO2 price to be around 55 pounds (63.71 euros), versus an expected EU CO2 price of 108 euros. The UK government ran a publish consultation earlier this year on policies to support British industries as they decarbonise, including a possible UK carbon border levy.

Persons: Frank Aaskov, Benjamin Lee, Susanna Twidale, Kate Abnett, Sharon Singleton Organizations: European Union, ETS, Steel, Energy, UK, Britain's Department for Energy Security, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, London, Britain, Europe

☆ Niger loses aid as Western countries condemn coup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world, receiving close to $2 billion a year in official development assistance, according to the World Bank. It is also a key security partner of Western countries such as France and the United States, which use it as a base for their efforts to contain an Islamist insurgency in West and Central Africa's Sahel region. Bazoum has not been heard from since early Thursday when he was confined within the presidential palace, although the European Union, France and others say they still recognize him as the legitimate president. Niger is a key partner of the European Union in helping curb the flow of irregular migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. The United States has two military bases in Niger with some 1,100 soldiers, and also provides hundreds of millions of dollars to the country in security and development aid.

Persons: Mohamed Bazoum, General Abdourahamane Tiani, Bazoum, Josep Borrell, Antony Blinken, Moussa Aksar, Kate Abnett, Nellie Peyton, Giles Elgood Organizations: REUTERS, European, World Bank, European Union, EU, United, United Nations, West African States, Security, Thomson Locations: Niamey, Niger, NIAMEY, United States, France, West, Central, EU, Saharan Africa, Antony Blinken ., Bazoum, Nigeria, Brussels

[1/2] A motorist rides past a hoarding decorated with flowers to welcome G20 foreign ministers in New Delhi, India, March 1, 2023. REUTERS/Amit Dave/File photoCHENNAI, India/BRUSSELS, July 28 (Reuters) - The Group of 20 (G20) major nations failed on Friday to agree on concrete targets to cut dangerous emissions, releasing only a statement that dismissed current measures to address climate change as "insufficient". Members could not agree on depleting carbon budgets, historical emissions, net-zero goals and the issue of financing to support developing countries, the document showed. China and oil-rich Saudi Arabia backed away from making commitments in the G20 talks, members of a European delegation said. The EU's Environment Commissioner said the G20 countries were "nowhere" on their commitments to address climate change.

Persons: Amit Dave, Virginijus Sinkevicius, Sarita Chaganti Singh, Aftab Ahmed, Kate Abnett, John Stonestreet, Angus MacSwan, Andrew Heavens Organizations: REUTERS, United Arab Emirates, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, CHENNAI, BRUSSELS, North America, Europe, China, Indian, Chennai, Saudi Arabia, Delhi, Brussels

☆ EU plans to buy new firefighting planes as climate crisis worsens
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The EU doubled its existing reserve fleet of firefighting aircraft in the past year, after devastating fires last summer in southern Europe exhausted its previous 13-craft capacity. That fleet comprises 28 aircraft, which the EU pays to lease from EU countries' own fleets or the market, to form a bloc-wide buffer during the wildfire season. The EU would finance the purchase of the 12 planes for its own fleet, while member states would pay for their own. EU countries are responsible for responding to wildfires, and request assistance from the EU reserve only when they need back-up. The bloc received 11 such requests in 2022 and has had four this year so far - including in Greece and Tunisia, where EU reserve planes are currently battling blazes.

Persons: Nicolas Economou BRUSSELS, Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic, Lenarcic, Kate Abnett, Alison Williams Organizations: REUTERS, European Union, EU, Crisis Management, Reuters, Manufacturer, Havilland, Canadair, Thomson Locations: Gennadi, Rhodes, Greece, Europe, Brussels, Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, EU, Tunisia

That would cost the EU its figurehead in international climate negotiations and the politician who drove through Europe's toughest measures yet to cut planet-warming emissions. The move was at odds with the U.S., and faced ire from some EU countries who felt it gave too much away. Ribera's role at the helm of Spain's green agenda is on the line after a snap election on Sunday ended with gridlock. The EU wants to pass at least two more green policies before EU elections next year - the nature law and electricity market reforms. Spain - whose current government typically backs ambitious EU climate policies - holds the EU's rotating presidency, and will chair EU countries' negotiations on all new laws until 2024.

Persons: gridlock, Frans Timmermans, Michael Bloss, Timmermans, Teresa Ribera, Linda Kalcher, Ribera's, She's, Kalcher, Ribera, Emmanuel Macron, Pablo Simon, Carlos, Kate Abnett, Pietro Lombardi, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: EU, European, UN, Green, U.S, SECOND, gridlock, People's Party, Carlos III University, Thomson Locations: Spain, lurch BRUSSELS, Dutch, Santiago, Chile, Ribera, Europe, Italy

☆ Which countries are paying their 'fair share' to fight climate change?
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WHICH COUNTRIES PAY U.N. CLIMATE FINANCE? That analysis suggested only seven countries had paid their "fair share" in 2020 - Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden. By ODI's ranking, the U.S. lags behind every other developed nation, when its past climate finance contributions are compared with what its "fair share" would be. Taken together, the 27-country EU is the biggest provider of climate finance, contributing 23.38 billion euros ($26.15 billion) in 2020.

Persons: Kate Abnett, Katy Daigle Organizations: UN, FINANCE, Economic, European Union, United, WHO, FAIR, U.S, Finance, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States, China, United Arab Emirates, London, U.S, EU, Lincoln

REUTERS/Stringer/File PhotoSummary Countries at odds over which should pay climate financeEU wants China to contribute to climate fundsChina among countries not currently obliged to payBRUSSELS/BEIJING, July 21 (Reuters) - Record-breaking heat in China. The EU, today the biggest contributor of climate finance, has lobbied to expand the pool of donor countries that provide it. Climate finance refers to money that wealthy countries pay toward helping poorer nations reduce CO2 emissions and adapt to a hotter, harsher world. Advocates for the change argue that an expansion needs to happen before a new - and, likely, far bigger - U.N. target for climate finance kicks in after 2025. "It would earn China diplomatic clout, and pressure Western donors to raise their stakes on climate finance," he said.

Persons: Stringer, John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Kerry, Li Qiang, Pa'olelei Luteru, Luteru, Byford Tsang, Kate Abnett, Valerie Volcovici, Katy Daigle, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, BRUSSELS, U.S, Union, Reuters, EU, United Arab Emirates, of Small, WHO, United, Climate Cooperation, Initiative, Bridgetown Initiative, Thomson Locations: Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, EU, BEIJING, COP28, Dubai, Beijing, U.S, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Singapore, States, United States, South Korea, U.N, Barbados, Bridgetown, Brussels

☆ EU climate chief Timmermans to run in Dutch election
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Tosterling Kate Abnett | Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMSTERDAM/BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - EU climate chief Frans Timmermans on Thursday said he wants to become the next Dutch prime minister and will contest a parliamentary election in the Netherlands in November. The four-party coalition government of Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte resigned earlier this month after failing to reach an agreement on restricting immigration, triggering a vote on Nov. 22. Timmermans had been tipped as a top candidate to lead the Dutch parties following his campaign for European social democrats in the 2019 European election, which was widely regarded as a success. Timmermans, who speaks English, German, French, Italian and Russian in addition to his native Dutch, is known as a skilled negotiator during international climate negotiations and his departure from EU politics will cause shockwaves. How well he may perform in Dutch politics is an open question, but a poll published on Thursday indicated that 39% of Dutch voters said they trusted him to lead the next government.

Persons: Frans Timmermans, Mark Rutte, Timmermans, Rutte, Toby Sterling, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Andrew Cawthorne, Bernadette Baum, Alex Richardson Organizations: Dutch, Labour, Green Left, Labour and Green Left, de Volkskrant, EU, Thomson Locations: AMSTERDAM, BRUSSELS, Netherlands, EU, Dutch, Timmermans, Rutte's, Limburg, Brussels

☆ COP28 summit host UAE's climate plans ranked 'insufficient'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) - The United Arab Emirates, host of this year's COP28 UN climate summit, has set out "insufficient" plans to tackle its own contribution to climate change, an independent research group said on Thursday. The UAE strengthened its climate pledge earlier this month to be more ambitious, and its summit leadership has called on other countries to do the same ahead of the talks in November. But the country's new pledge would still see its CO2 emissions increase through to 2030, at odds with the sharp decrease needed to curb climate change, according to the Climate Action Tracker research consortium. Countries agreed under the Paris Agreement to take action to curb climate change to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, the limit scientists say would avoid its most disastrous impacts. But this will not prevent the UAE from busting its overall climate goals, if fossil fuel use does not decrease, CAT said.

Persons: Sultan al, Jaber, Sarah Heck, Kate Abnett, Yousef Saba, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: United, CAT, Analytics, Investments, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Paris

Earlier this month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said contributions from Beijing could boost U.N. climate funds. It has, however, signalled a willingness to offer climate finance to developing countries through different instruments, like a South-South Climate Cooperation fund it launched in 2015. And the United States hopes that China will unveil its domestic plans to tackle the issue before the next U.N. climate conference in December. Global emissions levels have only risen since. The United States tends to look at overall national emissions, ignoring both historical emissions and the per-capita breakdown.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, John Kerry, Xie Zhenhua, Kerry, Xie, David Stanway, Katy Daigle, Jacqueline Wong Organizations: European Union, Treasury, Climate Cooperation, Technological, Biden, Kerry, Microvast Holdings, Global, European, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, China, United, Beijing, U.S, U.N, Rio de Janeiro, United States, Xinjiang, Paris, Glasgow, 1.5C, European Union, COP28, Dubai, Singapore

☆ Global temperatures near record highs as US, China meet on climate
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Charlie Devereux | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

REUTERS/Remo CasilliSummary Weather extremes experienced around the worldBiggest polluters United States and China meetClimate crisis 'is happening', says WHO bossMADRID, July 17 (Reuters) - Global temperatures were soaring to historic highs as the world's two biggest carbon emitters, the United States and China, sought on Monday to reignite talks on climate change. Wildfires in Europe raged ahead of a second heat wave in two weeks that was set to send temperatures as high as 48C. Ahead of meeting Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua in Beijing, U.S. climate envoy John Kerry urged China to partner with the United States to cut methane emissions and coal-fired power. Prolonged high temperatures in China are threatening power grids and crops and raising concerns about a repeat of last year's drought, the most severe in 60 years. The heat dome across the western United States also helped to generate heavy rains in the northeast, claiming at least five lives.

Persons: Remo, MADRID, reignite, Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Xie Zhenhua, John Kerry, Talim, Charon, Matilde, Angelica Aureli, it's, Ruben del Campo, Sergio Rodriguez, Kayla Hill, Carlo Buontempo, Buontempo, Charlie Devereux, Emma Pinedo, Giselda Vagnoni, Emma Farge, Kate Abnett, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: REUTERS, United, World Health, ACT, Italy's Air Force, La Palma, Canaries, TVE, World Meteorological Organization, National, Thomson Locations: Italy, Rome, United States, China, Sanbao, Europe, Beijing, U.S, Guangdong, Hainan, South Korea, Seoul, Sardinia, Spain, La, Florida, Furnace Creek, Salt Lake City , Utah, Madrid, Geneva, Brussels

Lawmakers and member countries will now negotiate the final text, aiming for a deal before EU Parliament elections in 2024. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol"Restoring nature brings numerous benefits to farmers," EU lawmaker Mohammed Chahim said. Lawmakers and scientists have rejected the EPP's claims, accusing the group of using misinformation to court votes ahead of EU Parliament elections next year. "This is a law on behalf of nature, not against any person whatsoever." EU lawmakers voted earlier this week to weaken another law to cut pollution from farms.

Persons: Cesar Luena, Manfred Weber, Remy, Pascal Rossignol, Mohammed Chahim, Luena, Greta Thunberg, Kate Abnett, Marine Strauss, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter, Devika Syamnath, Ed Osmond Organizations: European, European People's Party, EPP, EU Parliament's, REUTERS, EU, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Europe, Neuville, France, Brussels

BRUSSELS, June 29 (Reuters) - European Union leaders will on Thursday debate the repercussions of the aborted mutiny in Russia as they pledge further support for Ukraine in its war against Moscow's invasion. Like several other EU leaders, Kallas said the mutiny showed cracks appearing in Russia's leadership. She said she had seen different views on how the mutiny could affect the Ukraine war and the risk Russia poses to the West. The West should not be swayed and continue to support Ukraine and bolster its own defences, Kallas said. Charles Michel, the president of the European Council of EU leaders, struck a similar note.

Persons: Jens Stoltenberg, Kaja Kallas, Wagner, Kallas, Charles Michel, ”, John Irish, Julia Payne, Kate Abnett, Philip Blenkinsop, Jan Strupczewski, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Union, Ukraine, NATO, Estonian, European Council, EU, Kyiv, Diplomats, Peace, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, Russia, Brussels, China, Ukraine, Western, France, United States, U.S, Britain, Germany, Vilnius, Lithuania, Kyiv

☆ EU nature law on knife-edge after losing first vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The bill to revive ailing environments - which aims to restore nature on 20% of EU land and sea - is facing a political backlash from the European People's Party group in the EU Parliament, which has called for its rejection. In a tight vote, 44 lawmakers voted for the law and 44 against, meaning it failed to win majority support. The bill now heads to a full EU Parliament vote on July 11, where failure to win majority support would kill off the proposal. Supporters from other parliament groups said they would try to club together to find a compromise deal ahead of the full parliament vote. Despite that, EU countries agreed a position on the nature bill last week - weakening some targets and asking for more EU money to support farmers in restoring nature, but backing its overall aims.

Persons: Anne Sander, Cesar Luena, parliament's, Kate Abnett, Bart Meijer, Frank Jack Daniel, Conor Humphries Organizations: REUTERS, Union, European People's Party, European Commission, EPP, Thomson Locations: Hymettus, Athens, Greece, BRUSSELS, Brussels, Ireland, Belgium

☆ Countries back weakened EU nature law, seek more biodiversity funding
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Germany, Lithuania and Romania were among countries that had raised concerns over funding. POLITICAL PUSHBACKEU climate chief Frans Timmermans told reporters he was not worried by countries' tweaks to make the law more flexible. But he criticised lawmakers in the European Parliament who are trying to block the law and are refusing to negotiate. EU countries and the European Parliament must both approve the final bill. A motion by EU lawmakers to reject the entire proposal last week failed by a razor-thin margin, ahead of a full EU Parliament vote in July.

Persons: Eamon Ryan, Christianne van der Wal, Frans Timmermans, Timmermans, Kate Abnett, Jonathan Oatis, Gareth Jones Organizations: Sierra, EU, Union, European Commission, Reuters, EU Parliament's, Thomson Locations: Andalusia, Nieves, Brussels, LUXEMBOURG, Germany, Lithuania, Romania, Ireland, Netherlands

☆ EU countries fail to agree energy reforms after coal subsidy clash
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

EU energy ministers meeting in Luxembourg ended talks without a joint stance on the reforms that seek to avoid a repeat of last year's energy crisis, when record-high gas prices left consumers with soaring energy bills. EU countries' ambassadors will take up the negotiations, aiming for a deal this month. Asked about the coal proposal, Swedish Energy Minister Ebba Busch said ensuring Poland, which borders Ukraine, had stable power generation could help it support Ukraine with back-up power. Poland, which gets around 70% of its power from coal, could prolong its support scheme for coal plants, potentially until 2028, under the proposal. EU countries must negotiate the final power market upgrade with the EU Parliament, with the aim to pass the law before EU parliamentary elections next year.

Persons: Ebba Busch, Anna Moskwa, Robert Habeck, Kate Abnett, Tassilo Hummel, Sudip Kar, Giles Elgood, Emelia, Barbara Lewis, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Union, Swedish Energy, Reuters, European Commission, Climate, EU, Thomson Locations: Poland, Belgium, Germany, LUXEMBOURG, Luxembourg, Sweden, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Austria, Greece, Spain

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