France, Italy, and Slovakia have urged the EU to simplify its carbon border levy rules this year, calling for reduced red tape and standardized emissions calculations to ease the burden on businesses.
France, Italy and Slovakia have demanded the EU amend its carbon border levy this year to simplify the rules for businesses covered by the scheme, a document seen by Reuters showed.
The European Commission has already proposed changes that would exempt 90% of companies from the carbon border levy, which from 2026 will impose costs on imports of CO2-heavy goods including steel and cement.
The policy is designed to shield European producers against cheaper rivals in countries with less ambitious climate laws, and prevent them shifting investments abroad to countries including the U.S., where the Trump administration is aggressively rolling back regulation.
France and Italy, the European Union's second and third-biggest economies, demanded on Thursday that Brussels goes further in paring back the policy's administrative rules. This could include by letting companies use standardised calculations for the emissions produced by goods, France, Italy and Slovakia said in a joint paper seen by Reuters.
This would ease the reporting burden for companies covered by the rules, they said, echoing broader calls from some governments and businesses for Brussels to cut red tape to help struggling industries regain a competitive edge.
"The complexity of this system can lead to delays and a significant increase in management and operational costs for European companies," the paper said.
EU countries and lawmakers must negotiate and approve the Commission's proposed changes to the carbon border tariff in the coming months - giving them an opportunity to make further changes to the rules.
The three countries said Brussels should also consider giving European exporting companies free CO2 permits, to help them compete in global markets with rivals that do not pay pollution costs.
Through its bloc-wide carbon market, the EU requires manufacturers to pay for each ton of planet-heating CO2 they emit. China and some U.S. states also have carbon markets, but Europe's CO2 price is far higher than that of other major economies.
EU countries' environment ministers will discuss the three countries' proposal at a meeting in Brussels on Thursday.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his upcoming reciprocal tariffs will apply to all nations, rather than just targeting the 10 to 15 countries with the largest trade imbalances. Trump plans to unveil the tariff package on Wednesday, calling it “Liberation Day.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attempting to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning that such a move would bring serious repercussions.
Bangladesh’s main opposition party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has warned of public unrest if elections are not held by December, following remarks from interim leader Muhammad Yunus suggesting a possible delay until 2026.
Over 300,000 Canadians were left without power on Sunday as a severe ice storm battered parts of Ontario, according to electricity provider Hydro One. The storm brought freezing rain and ice pellets over the weekend, with power outages continuing into Monday morning in some regions.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen is awaiting a critical court ruling on Monday that could determine her political future. Le Pen, head of the National Rally (RN), faces accusations of embezzling over 3 million euros ($3.3 million) of European Parliament funds to pay France-based staff.
Armenia has confirmed it will not approve or contribute to the CSTO’s 2024 budget, effectively withdrawing from funding the bloc’s operations. This decision follows ongoing tensions, with PM Pashinyan previously labeling the alliance a “security threat” to Armenia.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his upcoming reciprocal tariffs will apply to all nations, rather than just targeting the 10 to 15 countries with the largest trade imbalances. Trump plans to unveil the tariff package on Wednesday, calling it “Liberation Day.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attempting to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning that such a move would bring serious repercussions.
Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) pilots, monitoring a Chinese navy warship as it navigated Australian waters, were alerted to a live-fire exercise via a civilian radio broadcast, defense officials revealed on Tuesday.
A powerful 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar’s Sagaing region, followed by a 6.4-magnitude tremor, killing more than 1,700 people and leaving 3,400 injured. The quake caused building collapses in Myanmar and Thailand, prompting emergency declarations and ongoing rescue efforts.
As the world shifts toward clean energy at an ever-accelerating pace, large economies are scrambling to secure reliable supply chains for rare earth minerals. These minerals, once seen as mere industrial components, have become a political tool in the global power struggle
Russian forces carried out a drone attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, late Wednesday, injuring at least twenty one people and causing structural damage, according to Ukrainian officials.
The World Bank reported that air pollution leads to approximately 5.7 million deaths each year, with 95% of fatalities occurring in low- and middle-income nations. It also causes economic losses amounting to 5% of global GDP due to health impacts, productivity decline, and reduced life expectancy.
The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) officially confirmed that 2024 was a record year for renewables additions to global power capacity. Renewables represented more than 92 per cent of all new electricity generation capacity installed last year.
The Sydney opera house, and other iconic national monuments round the world turned off their lights at 8:30pm local time to commemorate earth hour.
A new national forest stretching from the Cotswolds to the Mendips is set to be created, the UK government has announced. 20 million trees set to be planted across the West of England in the coming decades, creating at least 2,500 hectares of new woodland.
Glaciers around the world are melting at an alarming rate, with the last three years seeing the largest mass loss on record, according to a UNESCO report. The accelerated ice loss, driven by climate change, is contributing to rising sea levels.
Armenia has confirmed it will not approve or contribute to the CSTO’s 2024 budget, effectively withdrawing from funding the bloc’s operations. This decision follows ongoing tensions, with PM Pashinyan previously labeling the alliance a “security threat” to Armenia.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his upcoming reciprocal tariffs will apply to all nations, rather than just targeting the 10 to 15 countries with the largest trade imbalances. Trump plans to unveil the tariff package on Wednesday, calling it “Liberation Day.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is attempting to back out of a critical minerals deal, warning that such a move would bring serious repercussions.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment