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Four EU countries – including Germany – still have to hand in their plans to the European Commission, said Tomislav Ćorić, the Croatian minister who chaired a video meeting of EU energy ministers on Tuesday. “We require clarification on how exactly you foresee Mr. Dombrovskis’ collaboration with other relevant commissioners in order to deliver on the ambitious and progressive cross-sectorial set of policies you have entrusted him with, including within the scope of the Green New Deal,” S&D group leader Iratxe Garcia-Perez wrote in a letter to von der Leyen. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. But the disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis means conclusions on the NECPs are unlikely to be adopted at the next meeting of the Energy Council in June, he said. In the worst, they reside with commissioners who are determined to see them fail. So far, so normal: Those three are the traditional internal working languages of the European Commission. Log in to access content and manage your profile. The Commission’s structural and political constraints are likely to produce a set of watered-down, piecemeal solutions. The European Green Deal was first presented to the European Parliament on 11th December 2019 during Ursula von der Leyen’s speech on her environmental plan. To make this happen, I will put forward a Green Deal for Europe in my first 100 days in office. Nachdem die neue EU-Komission den “Green Deal” beschlossen hat, vergleicht Ursula von der Leyen diesen mit der Mondlandung. This shows we have made real progress, but also that we still have more to do. By David Adler and Pawel Wargan. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, promised on Wednesday (16 September) that the Green Deal will lead the investment plan needed in Europe for a future-orientated "true recovery". European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivering her 2020 State of the European Union speech. “Regarding the Green Deal initiative, the majority of ministers backed Commission plans to continue hard work, in particular on smart sector integration, the offshore wind strategy and the renovation wave,” Ćorić told a press conference after the meeting. Even if the Commission could realize its current plans for a Green Deal, it would still be only the first step of the many that will be needed to tackle Europe’s twin crises of austerity, and climate and environmental breakdown. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen gives first State of the European Union speech touching on Britain's plans to renegotiate Brexit, warning countries not to place economic interests above human rights, and says she wants to relaunch Europe's coronavirus-devastated economy through a new deal. EU Commission president-elect Ursula von der Leyen assigned on Tuesday (10 September) the management of climate action policy to Dutch social democrat Frans Timmermans, who will coordinate the European 'Green Deal' - with the support of the directorate-general for climate action (DG Clima). The European Green Deal is Europe’s new growth strategy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised on Tuesday (28 April) to put the European Green Deal at the centre of the EU’s recovery plan, … Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted that the European Green Deal must be the driving force behind Europe’s economic recovery plan. This will include thefirst European Climate Law to enshrine the 2050 climate - … EURACTIV MEDIA NETWORK BV. It includes a mechanism designed to help the regions that would be most disrupted economically by the transition to cleaner industries. In other words, von der Leyen ensured a political balance between the center left and the center right, while reinforcing the latter’s supervision of portfolios essential for realizing the Green Deal. | By buying sustainable food, reusing materials rather than throwing them away or producing low carbon steel. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised on Tuesday (28 April) to put the European Green Deal at the centre of the EU’s recovery plan, echoing similar statements made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. At the commissioner hearings last week, Timmermans downplayed the split. Thank you very much, dear Klaus. 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On October 12, in her speech to the European Committee of the Regions' plenary at the European Week of Regions and Cities, von der Leyen said that with NextGenerationEU, Europe can press fast forward towards a green, digital and resilient future. This summer — with record heat waves crashing over Europe — climate activists appeared to find an unlikely champion: the conservative German politician Ursula von der Leyen. Von der Leyen’s Green Deal is a case in point. 07-05-2020 European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, gave a special address to Davos Agenda Week. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. 29-04-2020 licence infos In her first State of the Union (SOTEU) address to the European Parliament, von der Leyen outlined the political and policy priorities of … “That’s why I welcome the interim goal of EU greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 50-55% by 2030 compared to 1990.”. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis | Stephanie Lecocq/EFE via EPA. ... Trump's CPAC speech … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Required fields are marked *. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (German: [ˈʊʁzula fɔn dəɐ̯ ˈlaɪən] (); née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and physician who has been President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019.. Jobs, cohesion, reforms and, crucially, economy — these all fall within Dombrovskis’ remit, not Timmermans’. It aims to deliver on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's Green Deal to make the bloc the world's first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Though she tapped the center-left Dutch politician Frans Timmermans as her commissioner for a “European Green Deal,” she handed the “Economy that Works for People” portfolio to Valdis Dombrovskis, a former Latvian prime minister and the chief architect of the country’s austerity program. There’s little reason to believe the center-right politician will be eager to embrace the environmental ambition needed to see the Green Deal through. However, if elected, his group was ready to provide its support “whenever the proposals would … EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will champion plans to relaunch Europe's coronavirus-devastated economy through a green new deal Wednesday, in her … Alas, the European Union — in its institutional structure, as in its political process — does not permit a holistic approach. Your email address will not be published. Efficacité et Transparence des Acteurs Européens 1999-2018. A Green Speech. And then there’s the next Commission’s political structure. That is obvious right now.”, Your email address will not be published. Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, BE) said that his group was not ready to hand over the helm of the European Union to Ursula von der Leyen at a time when ‘‘our common house is burning, the climate is deteriorating, there are ever deeper inequalities and a backlash in fundamental freedoms and the rule of law''. FILE PHOTO: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a speech during the plenary session of the Paris Peace Forum, France November 12, 2019. This increase of ambition will need investment on a major scale. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for inviting me again. Von der Leyen’s mission letters to Timmermans and Dombrovskis are revealing: While the Dutchman is in charge of soft issues like a new 2030 emission reduction target, zero-pollution ambition and the circular economy, Dombrovskis’ portfolio includes most of the hard, financing-related aspects of the green transition. And indeed, it is worth looking back. As the first woman to be president of the Commission, every Member of my College will have a The bread and butter of the Green Deal, then, will need to pass by Dombrovskis’ desk before it sees the light of day. This summer — with record heat waves crashing over Europe — climate activists appeared to find an unlikely champion: the conservative German politician Ursula von der Leyen. ), “By using the European Green Deal as our compass, we can turn the crisis of this pandemic into an opportunity to rebuild our economies differently and make them more resilient,” the Commission President said. Geplant ist ein kompletter Umbau von Energieversorgung, Industrie, Verkehr und Landwirtschaft. The record doesn’t bode well. “Instead, we should bounce back better from this pandemic,” she added, saying the European Green Deal will be “our motor for the recovery”. The European Commission, which originates EU policy, splits and chops proposals and distributes them among siloed teams of experts, who then draft the legislation. But Merkel also warned about strenuous talks ahead on the EU recovery plan. EURACTIV Germany reports. Von der Leyen’s commitment to the Green Deal echoes statements by German Chancellor Merkel who spoke on Tuesday during informal international climate talks organised by the German environment ministry, the so-called Petersberg Dialogue. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at The European Council Building in Brussels, Belgium, October 2, 2020. Although the exact amount and funding details are still unclear, von der Leyen said the new fund will be “clearly linked” to the EU budget and managed by the Commission. Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. If you do not have a login you can register here. “It will not be possible. The EU's most powerful senior official unveiled plans to reboot the bloc's battered economy with what is being dubbed a "green new deal." October 16, 2019 4:00 am. Claudia Kemfert, a leading climate researcher in Berlin, called the proposals “groundbreaking.” Forbes declared that those calling for a Green New Deal on the other side of the Atlantic “have all been beat by a conservative German politician.”. Ursula von der Leyen was left without a seat at a summit in Ankara on Tuesday after her two male counterparts took the only available chairs, leaving her to perch on a nearby sofa. At the same time, Dombrovskis heads no fewer than four DGs, most of them led by center-left figures. The three EU initiatives will all be released by the end of September as planned, Ćorić said, underling the importance of building renovation as part of the European recovery plan. Dombrovskis is tasked with transforming the European Investment Bank into a climate bank. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. The President of the European Commission was highly expected on the stimulus measures of the European Green Deal. Privacy Policy Ursula von der Leyen suffered an embarrassing gaffe as her seat next to Turkey's President Erdogan was nabbed by Charles Michel as she stood there waiting for him to move with no luck. Contact us, By continuing to browse the website, you are agreeing to our. And he will coordinate the work on von der Leyen’s Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, which promises to “unlock” €1 trillion of investments over the next decade.