Transport will get cleaner, but EU member states remain divided over climate change

The Hungarian presidency had a mixed record in handling energy and environment issues. 

Its biggest achievement was getting a deal on the Eurovignette directive, which will allow national governments to make hauliers meet the environmental costs of road transport.

The European Environmental Bureau (EEB) praised the presidency for its work on the biodiversity strategy, noting that there had been resistance from some member states.

France and other countries had raised objections to targets underpinning the biodiversity strategy, chiefly because of concerns that commitments on sustainable fisheries would limit their margin for manoeuvre in forthcoming negotiations on reform of the Common Fisheries Policy.

In contrast, the EEB said that the presidency had failed to “tackle adequately some of Europe’s biggest environmental challenges”, including climate change and resource efficiency. Several issues had been “undermined by a lack of political commitment and leadership”.

The EEB criticised the presidency’s work on energy efficiency, accusing it of failing to push for binding targets – with the consequence that the proposals that emerged from from the European Commission were weak.

Energy

On energy issues, the presidency secured agreement on the 2020 energy strategy and energy infrastructure priorities.

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The presidency obtained an agreement in the final days of its term of office on new rules designed to bring greater transparency to energy markets and to penalise insider trading and other market abuses.