Conference on the Future of Europe

Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies

Publication: Document
Citation: Spasova, Deyana; Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2021: Conference on the Future of Europe. Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. Berlin: Ecologic Institut.

Fossil fuels are heavily subsidized in the EU. In 2018, for example, fossil fuel subsidies in the EU amounted to €50 billion– twice as much as investments in new wind and solar power generation capacities. Subsidies for fossil fuels undermine climate policies, as it is their very purpose to make the production and consumption of fossil fuels cheaper.

Regardless of its climate commitments, the EU has continuously failed to phase out fossil fuels. Ending fossil fuels has been one of the most protracted and deadlocked issues of EU climate and energy policies. The Conference on the Future of Europe could give new momentum to this deadlocked debate.

The Conference should call for a legally binding deadline for the end of fossil fuel subsidies, and a truly green recovery that clearly excludes any funding for fossil fuel infrastructure. To facilitate more efficient EU rule-making on energy taxation, the Conference should recommend expanding majority voting to this policy field.

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screen shot of the briefing note's first page

This Briefing Note presents the first insights from Climate Recon 2050 – a project aiming to facilitate intra-EU exchange and foster the creation of know-how and networks essential to develop effective and ambitious national long-term climate strategies as a tool to guide a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. The Briefing Note brings together insights from the project’s activities – including a day of discussions on long-term climate planning held among policymakers from 10 EU Member States – and builds on related research by project partners.

2050 Climate Strategies in EU Countries: State of Play

Briefing Note 01

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Publication:Document

On 9 May 2022, Europe Day, the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE) closed – with the adoption of 49 recommendations. This is not the end of the process, but the beginning of new political action. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the role of the CFE as a starting point for renewed discussions on important topics such as climate, energy policy and EU democracy has been reiterated. Indeed, many recommendations from the CFE address EU climate policies – especially the ones prepared by its third citizens' panel on climate change, the environment and health. In this Ecologic Institute paper, Deyana Spasova questions how the panel's recommendations can improve EU climate policy? Where do the recommendations merely reiterate what is already in place? And how could the EU best translate the suggestions into policy action? The paper is available for download.

Conference on the Future of Europe

What is next for EU climate policies?

Year 2022

Language: English
Authorship: Deyana Kocher

Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), Germany

European Climate Foundation (ECF), International
Published by: Ecologic Institute, Germany
Year: 2021
Dimension: 4 pp.
Project: The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark
Project ID: 30008
Table of contents: Click to show full table of contents

Fossil fuel subsidies in the EU
Why is it important for the EU to phase out fossil fuels?
What can the Conference on the Future of Europe do?
Call attention to the issue of fossil fuel subsidies
Call for a legally binding end date
Call for a truly green recovery
Call for majority voting on EU taxation rules
Keywords: Climate

Governance

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Conference on the Future of Europe, climate policy, energy policy, climate change, EU, Member States

Europe

Further Links

Climate Recon 2050 project website

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