Bratislava may feel the impact of the Brexit referendum when tackling emissions allowances, Paris Agreement and nuclear energy.
Energy is key for the Programme of the upcoming Slovak Presidency in the EU Council. “The Energy Union has the potential to contribute to secure supplies of clean energy for affordable prices for the industry and households,“ reads the draft Programme. Its final version will be approved by the Slovak Government this week.
Slovakia will take over the Presidency on 1 July 2016, in the midst of the most important year for the Energy Union in the current term of the European Commission. In his 2015 State of the Union Maroš Šefčovič, a Slovak Commissioner, vowed to propose most of the legislation in 2016.
During its six-month Presidency, Slovakia wants to focus on strengthening the internal energy market, energy security, and energy efficiency. The environment priorities include climate change policies, reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU) as well as circular economy. It remains to be seen what the effect of the Brexit referendum will be on the debates between the 28 Member States.
Supply security
“Our objective is to launch negotiations with the European Parliament on the Security of Supply Regulation as well as on the proposal on the Decision on intergovernmental agreements in the energy field,” Slovak Economy Minister Peter Žiga was quoted by a press release.
As for the Regulation, the Presidency is ambitious. The Council has so far been divided on the Commission’s proposal to ensure inter-state solidarity in case of a gas crisis.
Launching talks with the Parliament on the Decision will be easier. In the beginning of June, the EU Council agreed on a common position allowing the Commission to check the inter-governmental agreements on gas.
According to its draft Programme, the Slovak Presidency aims to conclude negotiations with the MEPs on revamping the legislation on the energy efficiency of products. It also plans to organize a political debate of the ministers on the revising the Directives on Energy Efficiency and on Energy Performance of Buildings.
ETS reform and Paris Agreement
Reviving the dormant ETS tops Slovakia’s environment priorities. “It will rest on us, we have to finish it,” said Slovak Environment Minister László Sólymos according to a press release. We are close on an agreement on the level of the Council, which should be reached in December.”
As the position of the immense British market is questioned, this will be Sólymos’ most difficult task.
The Presidency also wants to focus on discussing the ratification of the Paris Agreement and on EU’s position at the upcoming COP22 in Marrakech. This may turn out, too, as a very hard job given the Brexit context. Not only may the climate policies lose a staunch advocate, but – in the current legal frame – EU’s ratification of the Paris Agreemet may lose steam.
Moreover, the Slovak Minister linked the ratification with the Commission’s expected proposals on revising the Effort Sharing Decision (emissions from non-ETS sectors) and the LULUF (emissions from land use, land use change and forestry) legislation.
The Presidency can finally score in a completely different priority: organizing a stakeholder debate on the EU’s Action Plan on Circular Economy.
Nuclear Energy
Economy Minister Žiga will host his European counterparts in Bratislava at the TTE/Energy Informal on 12 – 13 July. Environment Minister Sólymos will preside the ENV Informal on 10 – 12 July.
It remains to be seen how relations with the UK may impact the agenda. Next to the ETS and the Paris Agreement, there is nuclear energy.
The UK has been a pro-nuclear country, even after Fukushima. Together with the four Visegrad countries, Finland, France and Sweden it counts in the EU minority that plans to build new nuclear reactors.
The Slovak Presidency may feel the post-referendum mood in the Council. According to the draft Programme, it expects the Commission to propose new rules on notifying nuclear investments.
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