Photo by Nauris Pūķis on Unsplash
Members of the European Parliament have assessed the written answers of Commissioner-designates Wopke Hoekstra (Climate Action) and Maroš Šefčovič (Executive Vice-President in charge of the Green Deal).
The EPP Group said it “fully” endorses the nomination of Hoekstra as the new European Commissioner for Climate Action while the Socialists and Democrats have say they have decided to endorse both appointments.
Elsewhere, the Greens/EFA Group have been involved in negotiations to secure “clear commitments from the Commission on climate policies.”
Last week, they identified the areas of the Green Deal that they say need finalising before the end of this Commission’s term.
On Wednesday, Dutch member Bas Eickhout, Greens/EFA Vice Chair of the Environment Committee, told this site: “The Greens/EFA Group has won important commitments on climate action from Von der Leyen’s Commission in the negotiations on the candidacies of the Commissioner-designates. While right-wing parties are desperately trying to pursue a moratorium on the ecological transition, progressive cooperation has led to black and white commitments from the Commission to stay the course on the Green Deal.”
“Our group has secured written promises from both Hoekstra and Šefčovič on a science-based reduction of at least 90% in CO2 emissions by 2040.
“We have ensured the inclusion of specific provisions and a date for the phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies and made sure Europe delivers on its responsibility to support a fund for Loss & Damage at the upcoming COP28 negotiations. The Commission will now argue at the COP28 meeting in Dubai to strengthen the language on phasing out all fossil fuels.”
“Over the course of these negotiations, we have won critical commitments on championing key Green Deal files which would have otherwise been weakened or forgotten for the remainder of the mandate. That includes the Forest Monitoring Law, revision of the Regulation on Animal Transport and binding EU measures to prevent the release of microplastics in the environment. We have a solid commitment to finalise the Nature Restoration Law by the end of this mandate.”
“What we ask now of Hoekstra and the Commission is to start this role in good faith by showing the utmost transparency around his previous work.”
“We have so little time until the end of the mandate and cannot leave the posts that focus on the climate vacant as the world burns.”
“It’s clear from these negotiations that the Greens/EFA Group is the guarantor of the Green Deal. We will vigilantly scrutinise the work of Hoekstra and Šefčovič to ensure that the Green Deal is delivered. We will keep fighting for a greener future and a livable planet.”
