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European Commission approves Dutch state aid in favour of early closure of coal fired power plant

On 12 May 2020, the European Commission has announced having approved the financial compensation envisaged by the government of the Netherlands in favour of the early closure of the Hemweg coal fired power plant. The compensation of EUR52.5 million has been deemed to be in line with the EU state aid rules, as the closure will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions and there will not be undue distortion of competition in the EU single market, according to the Commission. 
The full non-confidential version of the Commission decision is not yet available, by the related press release (IP/20/863) gives some interesting elements of the reasoning of the Commission.
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EU Climate Law: the proposal for a regulation is out

The European Commission has adopted today, 4 March 2020, a proposal for a regulation establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality, also called European Climate Law.

The proposal for a Regulation is available at the following address:
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/commission-proposal-regulation-european-climate-law-march-2020_en.pdf
A short commentary will soon be available.

Podcast Interview for Montel Weekly on the EU Green Deal and EU Climate Law

The topic of this weekly podcast by Montel News is "On the road to climate neutrality". I answered some questions on what is on the EU climate and energy agenda. Listen to the full podcast here: http://podcast.montelnews.com/257968/2859160-on-the-road-to-climate-neutrality


Summary

Ahead of the EC publication of its Climate Law next week, this week’s pod discusses the implications for Europe’s energy sector.

Listen to a discussion on carbon border taxes, sector coupling, ETS reform and decarbonising gas.

Host:  Richard Sverrisson, Editor-in-Chief Europe, Montel. Guest:  Catherine Banet, Associate Professor in Energy Law, University of Oslo. Produced by Anna Siwecka.

New Publication: European Energy Law Report XIII M.M. Roggenkamp and C. Banet (eds.) (Intersentia, 2020)

The XIIIth edition of the European Energy Law Report, edited by Martha M. Roggenkamp and Catherine Banet, has been published in January 2020 by Intersentia.

The European Energy Law Reports are an initiative taken by the organisers of the European Energy Law Seminar which has been organised on an annual basis since 1989. The seminar is now taking place in January each year in The Hague.
This volume includes chapters on "Newcomers in the Electricity Market: Aggregators and Storage", "Hydropower Concessions in the EU: A Need for Liberalisation or Privatisation?", "Investments and des-Investments in the Energy Sector", "Offshore Decommissioning in the North Sea", "CCS as a Climate Tool: North Sea Practice" and "From EU Climate Goals to National Climate Laws".
Book website: https://intersentia.com/en/european-energy-law-report-xiii.html
ISBN 9781780689500

Waiting for the European Green Deal: a first overview

Waiting for the announcement on 11 December 2019 of the concrete measures that the European Green Deal will cover, the European Commission has published on its website a list of policy areas which will be concerned. With the announced objective of "becoming the world's first climate-neutral continent", the following areas of action will apparently be prioritised:
adoption of a European climate law: it will set in law climate reduction targets in order for the EU to become climate-neutral by 2050; extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to air transport and shipping; a "climate pact" which could relate to the development of carbon removal solutions (natural or technology-based) and the further development of "clean" energy sources; a mechanism of Carbon Border Tax; promoting circular economy approach and biodiversity; a just and socially fair transition; a necessary revision of related energy legislation to Ensure the better integration of sector…

"Climate emergency & legal response: the role of law in CCS deployment" - Watch the recording of our seminar from 14 November 2019

Did you miss our seminar in Oslo on 14 November 2019on the legal aspects of carbon capture and Storage (CCS) deployment?
You can now watch it on line on Youtube HERE.
Topic: « Climate emergency & legal response: the role of law in CCS deployment. Regulatory incentives to enable carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Norway and Europe.»

Carbon Capture and Storage and transboundary CO2 transport for permanent storage (London Protocol): Important diplomatic initiative to move forward.

There has been an important update on the issue of transboundary transport of CO2 for the purpose of permanent storage, as covered by the London Protocol's export amendment (2009 amendment to Art 6). This is of primarly importance for the realisation of carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects which include the international transport of CO2.