Iran, UK top security chiefs discuss nuclear program, agree to maintain contact
Top security officials of Iran and the UK have held a telephone conversation during which they agreed to continue exchanging views regarding Tehran’...
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.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A powerful eruption at Japan’s Shinmoedake volcano sent an ash plume more than 3,000 metres high on Sunday morning, prompting safety warnings from authorities.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
The UK is gearing up for Exercise Pegasus 2025, its largest pandemic readiness test since COVID-19. Running from September to November, this full-scale simulation will challenge the country's response to a fast-moving respiratory outbreak.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
Pakistan’s eastern towns of Chiniot and Hafizabad are at risk of devastating floods if an irrigation barrage on a major upstream river collapses after torrential rains pushed it beyond capacity, officials warned on Thursday.
Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Bahrain have signed an agreement with China to jointly develop a $220 million solar energy project.
A deadly landslide triggered by heavy rain struck a major Hindu pilgrimage route in Jammu, killing at least 30 people and disrupting communication across the region.
Wind farm developer Orsted's plan to raise much-needed capital is at risk following a U.S. order to halt construction of a near-complete project, and the Danish group's share price could come under pressure on Monday, analysts said.
Brazil’s government has ruled out subsidising hotel costs for delegates attending the COP30 climate summit in Belém this November, despite growing concerns over soaring accommodation prices.
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