France welcomed this Saturday a European agreement on the renewable energy directive that “corresponds to the expectations” of Paris, the day after a meeting of ambassadors of the Union. “I welcome the European agreement we have reached on the renewable energy directive: it meets France’s expectations,” said the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, in statements to the press.
This diplomatic agreement, negotiated within the framework of Coreper, the body that brings together the EU ambassadors in Brussels, confirms “a target of 42.5% of renewable energy” in Europe’s energy consumption by 2030. With this objective , Europe “gives investors visibility and positions itself as a leader in the energy transition to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050,” the minister estimated.
Another point, crucial for France, the agreement “acts the recognition of nuclear energy” in the achievement of Europe’s decarbonization goals, welcomes Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Member States had been publishing their differences on the recognition of nuclear power for many months, in particular as a means of producing carbon-free hydrogen.
Nuclear-generated hydrogen recognized for decarbonizing the aviation sector
The opposition between pro and anti-nuclear materialized with the creation of a nuclear alliance by France, bringing together about fifteen states, against Germany and supporters of renewable energy, despising the atom. Negotiations held on Friday led in particular to the adoption of a draft EU Aviation Refueling regulation on fuels intended for air transport.
The commitment adopted on Friday, “while fully recognizing hydrogen of nuclear origin, provides an ambitious framework for the decarbonisation of the aviation sector”, said Agnès Pannier-Runacher. He stressed that this text was “expected”, a day after the Élysée announced an aid plan of 2,200 million euros to develop a “zero emission” plane in France, while the largest air exhibition in the world is due to open on Monday, at Le Bourget.
Finally, as regards the agricultural sector, “France yesterday obtained guarantees from the Commission on ammonia plants that make decarbonisation investments”, stressed the minister. The main raw material for nitrogen fertilizers, such as ammonia, is natural gas. These texts still need to be formally ratified in the coming weeks by the European Parliament and the European Council.
Meanwhile, on Monday, an energy council bringing together European ministers in Luxembourg will discuss the long-awaited reform of the European electricity market. If discussions continue on many technical points related to this reform, described as a “central point” of the meeting by the French minister’s cabinet, in particular on the European mechanisms in the event of an energy crisis, France expects the adoption on Monday of a ” general orientation” on this text.
Source: BFM TV
