Lords receive clarification of Government position on EU Climate and Energy Framework for 2030
9 February 2015
In January 2013, the European Commission launched a policy discussion on the EU’s energy and climate policy beyond 2020. At the European Council meeting on 23-24 October 2014, Member States reached an agreement on the key features if the future policy. Her Majesty’s Government when writing to Parliament said the decision ‘met all of the UK’s top priorities’, including an affordable and flexible energy policy, improved energy security, reform of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) and increasing use of renewable energy.
- Letter: A policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030
- Correspondence: Energy and Climate Framework 2020
On 8 January 2015 the Government sent to the Committee a joint Czech-UK paper, detailing how EU energy and climate policy should be governed in the future. The paper has been presented to other Member States and the Commission for discussion.
The Committee responded, pressing the Government on aspects of their approach to governance, including:
- How the proposed strategic approach, ignoring the precise details of policy implementation in each Member State, can function if the details could have implications for another Member State
- Why Member States should not be obliged to communicate their national energy plans to other Member States.
The Government have now responded clarifying their position:
- The Government do not anticipate the introduction of a regime that affects the Commission's current right to comment upon the details of national energy and climate change policies with cross-border implications.
- The Government agree with the Committee’s point that Member States ought to be open and transparent with their neighbours and consult them on cross-border implications of national energy and climate change policies.