Environment ministers from the socialist and democratic family, European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, and MEPs met online to discuss Fit for 55, the European Commission’s package to make the EU's climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation policies fit for reducing net greenhouse gas emissions.
The Fit for 55 proposals – driven forward by Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans – aim to achieve the target established by the European Climate Law and cut emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, paving the way towards climate neutrality by 2050.
Meeting Chair and German Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Svenja Schulze, said:
“Our political family, with the Portuguese and German Presidency in the Council, the S&D Group in the Parliament and Executive Vice President Timmermans in the Commission, played a key role in reaching an agreement on the European Climate Law. The next step is considering what we need to achieve this target.
“The current European legislation must be revised and updated. As progressives, we want strong action for the climate and we will work alongside Executive Vice President Timmermans to make that happen with the Fit for 55 package.
“Change is needed across a range of interconnected policy areas and economic sectors. It is vital that we have a coherent approach that carefully considers the social dimension. As socialists and democrats, we need to ensure that the road to decarbonisation will be just and will take everyone on board.”
Earlier this year, PES environment ministers welcomed the Fit for 55 package. The implementation of the European Green Deal, under the leadership of the Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans, is a priority for the PES political family.
The meeting was attended by:
- Svenja Schulze, Chair, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany
- Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal, European Commission
- Dan Jørgensen, Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, Denmark
- João Pedro Matos Fernandes, Minister of Environment and Energy Transition, Portugal
- Teresa Ribera, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Spain
- Javi Lopez MEP, Chair of the PES Environment, Climate Change & Energy Network, European Parliament
- Jytte Guteland MEP, S&D coordinator, Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, European Parliament
- Yonnec Polet, Deputy Secretary General, PES
