EU taxonomy: Commission presents complementary climate delegated act to accelerate decarbonisation – On 2.2.2022, the Commission presented a complementary climate delegated act on the taxonomy concerning activities within the gas and nuclear sector that will help accelerate the shift from solid or liquid fossil fuels, including coal, towards a climate-neutral future. Given that achieving climate neutrality by 2050 requires private incentives, the taxonomy intends to guide private investments towards activities that will enable the achievement of the goals. In fact, the submitted act introduces other economic activities in the energy sector into the EU taxonomy, as well as disclosure requirements for companies with activities in the gas and nuclear sectors (to help investors identify investment opportunities). Executive Vice-President for an economy that serves the people, Valdis Dombrovskis, said: ‘Climate neutrality is our mission and our duty. If we want to achieve the goals we have set for 2030 and 2050, we must act now. Today’s delegated act aims to accompany the EU economy in its energy transition, which is intended to be a fair transition to a green energy system based on renewable sources. It will accelerate the private investments we need, especially in this decade. With these new rules we are also reinforcing transparency and information requirements, to enable investors to make informed decisions and thus avoid green window-dressing.”
Strategy for Sustainable and Intelligent Mobility – On 2.2.2022, the Commission adopted a delegated regulation to expand the availability of real-time traffic data on the trans-European road network, amending the existing rules in this area and in order to advance the European Green Deal. The revision, which will enter into force as of January 2025, envisages extending the obligation on road authorities and operators to make traffic data available on motorways and priority zones to regional and urban roads as well. Transport Commissioner Adina Vălean said: “Better real-time traffic data is a prerequisite for improving our mobility. The rules we are adopting today will increase the coverage and scope of such data and help make transport across the EU smoother, smarter and more sustainable”.
European Investment Bank (BEI)
EIB and Millennium bcp to support Portuguese companies in recovery – On 2.2.2022, the EIB and Millennium bcp renewed their partnership by signing an agreement to support Portuguese SMEs, mid caps (up to three thousand employees) and large enterprises (over three thousand employees). The EIB will provide a EUR 200m guarantee to Millennium bcp to enable the Portuguese bank to grant investment loans of up to EUR 840m to compensate for the economic consequences of the pandemic emergency. The agreement is supported by the European Guarantee Fund, part of the package of EU measures implemented in response to the economic impact caused by Covid-19. The EIB’s Director of Financing Operations in Portugal and Spain, Birthe Bruhn-Lèon, said: “Facilitating access to finance for small, medium and large enterprises is key to strengthening the EU’s economic recovery. Through this agreement, the EIB and Millennium bcp renew their successful partnership in support of Portuguese companies, mobilising EUR 840m to support their investment needs”.
ACEA: data on registrations by fuel type – On 2.2.2022, ACEA published a study showing that overall in 2021, hybrids and electrically recharged vehicles recorded a strong increase in sales, accounting for 18% of total registrations, compared to 10.5% in 2020. In contrast, petrol (-33.5 %) and diesel (-50.9 %) car registrations recorded declines.
