Commission welcomes political agreement on new rules to boost energy performance of buildings across the EU

Paris

The Commission welcomes the provisional agreement reached today between the European Parliament and the Council to reduce the emissions and energy use of buildings across the EU. The strengthened Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) will support the EU’s efforts to decarbonise buildings across the whole Union. This is an area in which the concrete impact of the European Green Deal will improve the quality of life for people, in their homes and workplaces, and lower their energy bills. This deal will also  boost Europe’s energy independence in line with the REPowerEU Plan and make a strong business case for a cleaner buildings sector in the EU.

Better performing buildings to lower energy bills and cut emissions

The revised Directive will set out a range of measures that will help EU governments boost structurally the energy performance of buildings, with a specific focus on the worst-performing buildings. Continue reading “Commission welcomes political agreement on new rules to boost energy performance of buildings across the EU”

New tool to enable EU to withstand economic coercion enters into force

Legal

Yesterday, the Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI) has entered into force, providing the EU with the means to deter and respond to economic coercion, and thereby better defend its interests and those of its Member States on the global stage.

The ACI is first and foremost designed to act as a deterrent against economic coercion. Where coercion still happens, the tool provides a structure to respond in a well-calibrated way to stop the coercion. It gives the EU a wide range of possible countermeasures when a country refuses to remove the coercion. These include the imposition of tariffs, restrictions on trade in services and trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, and restrictions on access to foreign direct investment and public procurement.

The Regulation provides a legal framework for responding to coercion and sets down the means for the EU to investigate and take decisions. It includes timeframes and procedures for stakeholders affected by coercion to contact the Commission and hold a stakeholder consultation before taking countermeasures. The ACI likewise provides a framework for the EU to request a third country to repair the injury caused by its economic coercion. Continue reading “New tool to enable EU to withstand economic coercion enters into force”

Europe action brings concrete benefits for citizens and businesses and protects rule of law

Europe Law

The European Commission adopted this month its Annual Report on Monitoring the Application of EU Law. The report outlines the enforcement actions that the Commission took in 2022 to guarantee the protection of the rights and freedoms of people and businesses across the EU. The Commission also published its Single Market Scoreboard for 2022 enforcement data, outlining how well the Single Market is functioning and measuring performance per policy area and Member State.

The Commission also concluded a stocktaking exercise, identifying ways to further improve its working methods when it comes to the enforcement of EU law. Launched in 2022, the aim of the stocktaking exercise was to ensure that the best possible enforcement tools are available to make it work in practice. The Commission is now reporting on its outcome.

Finally, the Commission has adopted its regular package of decisions on infringements. Continue reading “Europe action brings concrete benefits for citizens and businesses and protects rule of law”