European Parliament wants fossil fuel subsidies phased out by 2025

The European Parliament has adopted a position for negotiations with member states on the eighth General Union Environment Action Programme (EAP) to 2030, in which it highlights  abandoning state aid for fossil fuels as one of the key goals.

MEPs say that direct and indirect fossil fuel subsidies should be phased out at all levels by 2025 and that other environmentally harmful subsidies should be abandoned by 2027. The European Commission must assess which subsidies are harmful by December 2022.

The eighth EAP will guide European environmental policy until 2030 and must accelerate the EU’s transition to a green economy, according to the European Parliament. The EU EAP has shaped the EU’s environment policy since the early 1970s.

All environmentally harmful subsidies should be phased out by 2027

For the EU to become a climate-neutral, resource-efficient, clean and circular economy, the eighth EAP should be aligned with the European Green Deal on climate, biodiversity, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to the European Parliament.

The objectives should be achieved by 2030

The European Parliament says the objectives should be achieved by 2030 and wants the European Commission to present indicators to monitor and track the progress by December 31.

Member states should integrate the SDGs as well as climate, environmental, and social objectives in their national plans under the European Semester of economic governance, including in the National Recovery and Resilience Plans.

Priority objectives of the eighth EAP:

• climate change mitigation;
• adapting to climate change;
• protecting and restoring terrestrial and marine biodiversity;
• a nontoxic circular economy;
• the zero pollution environment;
• minimizing pressure on the environment caused by production and consumption across all sectors.

The European Parliament adopted the negotiating position with 518 votes to 130, and 47 abstentions.