The Diplomat
The Patio Herreriano Museum in Valladolid will host tomorrow the first informal ministerial meeting of the recently inaugurated Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, specifically that of the European Ministers of Energy and Environment.
The meeting, which will conclude on Wednesday, will focus on the main priorities of the Spanish semester in relation to the so-called European green agenda and the energy market, such as the reform of the electricity market and open strategic autonomy, as reported by the Spanish Presidency on its website.
According to the Spanish Presidency, “the reform of the electricity market will guarantee stable and competitive prices for consumers, strengthen the penetration of renewables and provide effective signals to respond to stress situations”. During the debate, the technological development and the effect of the electricity market reform on the productive fabric will be taken into account, the availability of existing technologies and the strengthening of emerging ones will be promoted and the problem of storage will be analyzed. It will also seek to reduce energy dependence on third countries.
The Council will also address the development of electricity interconnections and will promote the approval of the sixth list of Projects of Common Interest in the energy field. It will also undertake the necessary actions to prepare the EU for the winter 2023-2024. Furthermore, the informal ministerial Council will analyze the legislative proposals on energy contained in the Fit for 55 Package related to the promotion of energy from renewable sources, energy efficiency and the establishment of a coherent legislative framework to enable the development of a competitive market for hydrogen and renewable gases.
Regarding open strategic autonomy, the Spanish Presidency considers that, in order to accelerate the ecological and digital transitions, the EU must significantly increase and diversify its supply of critical and strategic raw materials, strengthening circularity, research and innovation. In this regard, the Valladolid Council will discuss a European Critical Raw Materials Act and a European Zero Net Emissions Industry Act to create an appropriate regulatory framework to ensure an indigenous, sustainable and efficient supply of these raw materials, contributing to European industrial sovereignty.
This commitment must be supported by trade openness, an essential element for maintaining European leadership in technologies linked to the energy transition. Therefore, the Spanish Presidency will promote the European Hydrogen Bank, to accelerate the creation of a market for green hydrogen, ensuring investments and opportunities for renewable hydrogen production on a European and global scale.
Green agenda
On the environment and the European green agenda, the Council will discuss improving water management and wastewater treatment, improving air quality, transforming industry with cutting-edge technologies and boosting innovation for safe and sustainable chemicals. Integrated pollution prevention and control and the transition to a circular economy model that prioritizes waste reduction will also be discussed. Separately, the Informal Ministerial Council will devote a joint mixed working session to expectations for the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which takes place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12, 2023.
