Analysis

Expert analysis, features and profiles of key topical issues in the European Union.

ESM, Europe's future financial firewall now — 29 January 2012, 15:17 CET

The European Stability Mechanism (ESM), due for adoption at Monday's EU summit, is to be the bloc's permanent safety net as of July -- its financial "firewall."

A new pact to spread budgetary 'golden rules' — 29 January 2012, 15:17 CET

European leaders are set to adopt Monday a new treaty to reinforce budgetary discipline among governments in the wake of the debt crisis. A German demand as the price of financial solidarity, it will introduce "golden rules" making balanced budgets mandatory.

International sanctions against Iran — 23 January 2012, 18:07 CET

International sanctions against Iran focus on key sectors such as defence, finance and oil with the aim of persuading Tehran to end its controversial nuclear programme. Over time, the United Nations and the European Union have adopted increasingly tough measures.

Voters snub anti-euro far-right in Finnish presidential poll — 23 January 2012, 15:52 CET

Finland's nationalist anti-immigration Finns Party suffered a heavy setback in this weekend's presidential election, as many of its anti-euro voters fled to the equally eurosceptic Centre Party, observers said Monday.

International sanctions against Iran — 23 January 2012, 04:37 CET

International sanctions against Iran focus on key sectors such as defence, finance and oil with the aim of getting Tehran to end its controversial nuclear programme. Over time, the United Nations and the European Union have adopted increasingly tough measures.

Factfile on Croatia — 22 January 2012, 09:37 CET

Facts on Croatia, which votes in a referendum on European Union membership Sunday:

Factfile on Croatia — 19 January 2012, 03:17 CET

Facts on Croatia, which votes in a referendum on European Union membership Sunday:

EUR 8bn available for energy efficiency in Europe — 20 January 2011, 16:40 CET

Energy efficiency is the quickest and most cost-effective way to create jobs in green industries, improve energy security and reduce emissions. Improving homes also improves the health and happiness of inhabitants. The payback period – the time before the savings are greater than the initial investment – is usually only a few years. However, most governments and individuals are short of money for investment at present. Therefore, it is very surprising that there is substantial money available from the EU for energy efficiency work, which has not been claimed.

Draft EU radioactive waste directive — 18 November 2010, 23:25 CET

The European Commission has now published a draft directive on safety standards for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste from nuclear power plants and research facilities. Part of the Commission’s aim is to build public confidence in nuclear power – in 2009 the EU adopted rules on the safety of operating power plants and on-site storage.

European Commission's new energy strategy — 11 November 2010, 17:12 CET

Yesterday the European Commission presented its proposals for a new energy strategy for the next decade. In Brussels jargon this is known as the Energy Action Plan. The EU is good at plans, less good at action, so the Commission has wisely named this document simply Energy 2020.

Courts block Spanish coal subsidies — 11 November 2010, 17:14 CET

The European Court of Justice has issued a temporary injunction preventing the Spanish government from subsidising the use of domestically produced coal in electricity generation.

How to deliver energy efficiency in the EU — 14 October 2010, 11:10 CET

Using energy more efficiently is the cheapest way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also has economic, energy security and employment benefits. In a speech to a conference on EU energy policy on 30 September 2010, energy commissioner Gunther Oettinger identified energy efficiency as his “first priority”. However, EU policy and performance in this area has been disappointing to date.

'Green Ed' Miliband — 28 September 2010, 23:13 CET

Ed Miliband has been elected Labour leader. This is good news for UK climate politics, as he was a good energy and climate change secretary, taking the right steps on energy efficiency, renewables and nuclear, and some of the right steps on coal.

The EU must support clean energy, not dirty coal — 25 August 2010, 21:34 CET

The EU aspires to be a world leader in reducing carbon emissions. It seeks to develop renewable sources of energy and new ways of making coal and gas cleaner. Success in these areas would enhance the EU’s energy security and foster innovative sectors, as well as helping the EU to achieve its climate change targets. But it will require significant investment.

European Commission sensible on coal subsidies, but not on nuclear fusion — 04 August 2010, 23:25 CET

The European Commission has done well in securing some – though not nearly enough – money to support renewables and CCS from the European economic recovery plan and from auctioning permits under the EU’s emissions trading scheme. The recovery plan’s grants are just €1 billion. By comparison, EU countries (particularly Germany and Spain) paid out €3 billion in national coal subsidies in 2008 alone.

Carbon and energy taxes in Europe — 01 July 2010, 23:03 CET

The demand to ‘make the polluter pay’ by putting a price on the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced has been a major point of discussion and debate across Europe since the mid-1980s.

Taxes better than targets — 23 June 2010, 00:25 CET

Once again, European governments have been debating whether the EU greenhouse reduction target should be increased, from 20% below 1990 levels by 2020 to 30%, also by 2020. 20% will be easier to achieve than expected, given the recession, but is not enough of a reduction, so the target should be increased to 30%. This would also inject some momentum into the international negotiations, which is much needed.

Subsidies should be switched — 09 June 2010, 00:55 CET

The debate should not be between subsidy and no subsidy, but between subsidy for low carbon energy and energy efficiency and subsidy for high carbon energy.

So it is getting warmer — 03 June 2010, 16:59 CET

James Hansen, the top scientist at the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration and one of the first to warn world leaders of climate change, back in the 1980s, has said that the global temperature over the last 12 months reached its warmest on record.

UK bills and bonfires — 27 May 2010, 17:01 CET

The new UK government has now announced its legislative programme for the next 18 months and there is to be another energy bill. This is a good bill and should be supported.

A new UK government — 13 May 2010, 15:49 CET

The UK has a new government and the prospects for climate policy are mixed. The promised policies on aviation and coal are stronger than those of the former Labour government. The approach to renewables is similar to that of Labour – though, in the UK, renewables is all about delivery, not policy. However, the approach on nuclear power looks like a recipe for muddle and delay.

Energy efficient homes — 06 May 2010, 16:56 CET

Too much of the general political and media discussion is about making new buildings efficient. This must be done, but is nowhere near enough, as most of the buildings that will be standing in 2050 have already been built.

Earth Day – what have we achieved in the last 40 years? — 23 April 2010, 16:17 CET

22 April is the fortieth Earth Day, so it is an appropriate time to consider what the environmental movement has achieved globally over the last four decades. On the first Earth Day, April 22 1970, more than 20 million Americans took part in demonstrations. It has now become a global movement and, this year, organisers say that they hope about 1.5 billion people will take part, in 190 countries.

The UK general election – climate and money — 11 April 2010, 15:33 CET

Climate Answers will comment on what the parties are saying they would do, their policy statements and the manifestos once they appear. Labour, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have all made major statements in the last five weeks: Labour and Tories on energy and the Lib Dems on transport.

Norway leads — 25 March 2010, 23:55 CET

Last week, the Norwegian government announced that it is on track to meet its new renewables target for 2011. On the face of it, this isn’t significant – the country had only 428Mw of installed wind capacity at the end of 2009, so the contribution from wind and other 'new renewables' (that is, not large hydro) is not huge. However, Norway is significant on climate change and has played a major role in climate policy for many years.