She spoke about issues from climate change to big tech and the impact of COVID-19. And indeed, it is worth looking back. That is obvious right now.”, Your email address will not be published. This summer — with record heat waves crashing over Europe — climate activists appeared to find an unlikely champion: the conservative German politician Ursula von der Leyen. Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (German: [ˈʊʁzula fɔn dəɐ̯ ˈlaɪən] (); née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and physician who has been President of the European Commission since 1 December 2019.. Aiming to deliver on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s Green Deal, EU officials said the Europe Investment Plan unveiled Tuesday will be funded by the bloc’s budget and by the private sector. Konkrete Vorlagen sollen 2020 und 2021 folgen. Commission Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis | Stephanie Lecocq/EFE via EPA. “Regarding the Green Deal initiative, the majority of ministers backed Commission plans to continue hard work, in particular on smart sector integration, the offshore wind strategy and the renovation wave,” Ćorić told a press conference after the meeting. To help us achieve our ambition,I will propose a European Green Deal in my first 100 days in office. Ursula von der Leyen at the European Parliament in Strasbourg | Patrick Seeger/EFE via EPA, Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the EU. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on the continent. These are the key points. Social policy is divorced from trade policy, just like finance is divorced from greenhouse gas reduction targets. As the first woman to be president of the Commission, every Member of my College will have a Ursula von der Leyen | President-elect of the European Commission 6 It is a team with almost as many women as men - only one woman away from gender balance. In other words, von der Leyen ensured a political balance between the center left and the center right, while reinforcing the latter’s supervision of portfolios essential for realizing the Green Deal. European Commission announces €1tn Green Deal ambition President Ursula von der Leyen has outlined plans to fund her Green Deal with a mix of EU, member state and private sector contributions. Shortly before she was confirmed as the next president of the European Commission, the former defense minister pledged to introduce a “European Green Deal” within 100 days of taking office, laying out a holistic vision for a just transition that will aim to cut carbon emissions and reverse the planet’s ecological breakdown, while ensuring social justice. Philippe Lamberts (Greens/EFA, BE) said that his group was not ready to hand over the helm of the European Union to Ursula von der Leyen at a time when ‘‘our common house is burning, the climate is deteriorating, there are ever deeper inequalities and a backlash in fundamental freedoms and the rule of law''. Campaigning, lobbying and political influence in the U.K. What’s driving the day in Paris, en français, The weekly digest of the best stories in U.K. politics, SPONSORED CONTENT FROM World Bioenergy Association. Shortly before she was confirmed as the next president of the European Commission, the former defense minister pledged to introduce a “European Green Deal” … European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen gives first State of the European Union speech touching on Britain's plans to renegotiate Brexit, warning countries not to place economic interests above human rights, and says she wants to relaunch Europe's coronavirus-devastated economy through a new deal. | Chancellor Angela Merkel has insisted that the European Green Deal must be the driving force behind Europe’s economic recovery plan. Log in to access content and manage your profile. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The European Commission, which originates EU policy, splits and chops proposals and distributes them among siloed teams of experts, who then draft the legislation. I will put forward the first ever European Climate Law which will set the 2050 target into law. But sources close to him suggest that he was riled by the decision — not just because it neutered core aspects of his portfolio, but also because it signified a major power shift within the Commission. “That’s why I welcome the interim goal of EU greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 50-55% by 2030 compared to 1990.”. European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans to create a new Bauhaus school as part of the EU's €750 billion coronavirus recovery plan. But the disruption caused by the coronavirus crisis means conclusions on the NECPs are unlikely to be adopted at the next meeting of the Energy Council in June, he said. | This shows we have made real progress, but also that we still have more to do. Von der Leyen’s Green Deal was doomed from the start. Thank you very much, dear Klaus. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen at The European Council Building in Brussels, Belgium, October 2, 2020. EU Commission president-elect Ursula von der Leyen assigned on Tuesday (10 September) the management of climate action policy to Dutch social democrat Frans Timmermans, who will coordinate the European 'Green Deal' - with the support of the directorate-general for climate action (DG Clima). Latest news, analysis and comment on defense in Europe and beyond. The Commission’s political constraints will ensure it gets watered down. The bread and butter of the Green Deal, then, will need to pass by Dombrovskis’ desk before it sees the light of day. The European Green Deal was first presented to the European Parliament on 11th December 2019 during Ursula von der Leyen’s speech on her environmental plan. Efficacité et Transparence des Acteurs Européens 1999-2018. [European Commission audiovisual service], Comments Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp. Ursula von der Leyen was left without a seat at a summit in Ankara on Tuesday after her two male counterparts took the only available chairs, leaving her to perch on a nearby sofa. (updated: The Commission’s structural and political constraints are likely to produce a set of watered-down, piecemeal solutions. Jobs, cohesion, reforms and, crucially, economy — these all fall within Dombrovskis’ remit, not Timmermans’. Project Syndicate March 22, 2021 A GLOBAL GREEN DEAL by Ursula von der Leyen & Werner Hoyer QUOTE We need to embrace the idea of a “circular economy.” As matters stand, we are taking more out of our planet than it can afford to give us, and the effects of this overreach will become increasingly dramatic and destructive with each passing year. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers in Europe. Timmermans coordinates the work of five directorates general (DGs), but most of these are led by center-right commissioners. A Green Speech. "We have more proof that what is good for the climate is good for business and is good for us all," von der Leyen said in her first State of the Union speech - … In her first speech on the state of the European UNion The EU’s most powerful senior official Ursula von der Leyen unveiled plans to reboot the bloc’s battered economy with what is being dubbed a “green new deal.” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said the EU should significantly toughen its […] 07-05-2020 There’s little reason to believe the center-right politician will be eager to embrace the environmental ambition needed to see the Green Deal through. Four EU countries – including Germany – still have to hand in their plans to the European Commission, said Tomislav Ćorić, the Croatian minister who chaired a video meeting of EU energy ministers on Tuesday. Speech by President von der Leyen in the Plenary of the European Parliament at the debate on the European Green Deal. EU leaders on Thursday (23 April) tasked the European Commission with drafting a trillion-euro “recovery fund” linked to the EU budget but didn’t specify how it will support the green transition they claim to be committed to. Although the exact amount and funding details are still unclear, von der Leyen said the new fund will be “clearly linked” to the EU budget and managed by the Commission. licence infos In her first State of the Union (SOTEU) address to the European Parliament, von der Leyen outlined the political and policy priorities of … The EU's most powerful senior official unveiled plans to reboot the bloc's battered economy with what is being dubbed a "green new deal." “As we now plan to slowly go back to work and to invest billions of euros to restart our economy, we should avoid falling back in old, polluting habits,” von der Leyen said in a video statement. Urgency is mounting. Von der Leyen further announced that 30% of the €750 billion ($880 billion) recovery fund will be raised through green bonds, of which Europe is the largest issuer. Meanwhile, EU member states are falling behind when it comes to their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), which were due to be submitted by the end of last year. “That is the essence of the European Green Deal.”. Meanwhile, the clock on climate and environmental breakdown keeps ticking away. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on German politics. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivering her 2020 State of the European Union speech. And he will coordinate the work on von der Leyen’s Sustainable Europe Investment Plan, which promises to “unlock” €1 trillion of investments over the next decade. And then there’s the next Commission’s political structure. Von der Leyen’s mission letters to Timmermans and Dombrovskis are revealing: While the Dutchman is in charge of soft issues like a new 2030 emission reduction target, zero-pollution ambition and the circular economy, Dombrovskis’ portfolio includes most of the hard, financing-related aspects of the green transition. Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union speech was an unabashed declaration that English now reigns supreme among the 24 languages of the European Union. Last week, EU leaders asked the Commission to draw up proposals for a trillion-euro “recovery fund” to restart the European economy after the pandemic. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised on Tuesday (28 April) to put the European Green Deal at the centre of the EU’s recovery plan, echoing similar statements made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Sources suggest that von der Leyen’s last-minute move to promote Dombrovskis was an attempt to seize control of the Green Deal for the center right, while ensuring that the responsibility for its success or failure remains with Timmermans, the public face of the Commission’s environmental ambitions. The European Commission chief has touted a new 'green deal… He will oversee a new financing strategy based on the issuance of green bonds. If you do not have a login you can register here. Explore the live extension of our journalism, The wonk's survival guide to the EU Green Deal, April 19 — Rewriting the Transatlantic Tech Playbook, April 20 — The coming shakeup of the EU Emissions Trading System, May 18 — POLITICO Virtual Interview: In Conversation With Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Von der Leyen says EU must move swiftly to install new Commission, POLITICO Pro Workshop – The new EU trade order, Why Europe needs bioenergy to reach net zero, Northern Ireland ‘playing with matches’ amid Brexit trade deal tensions, Lighting is Europe’s key to building renovation, Harry Verhaar, head of governmental affairs, Signify. This increase of ambition will need investment on a major scale. EU chief Ursula von der Leyen will champion plans to relaunch Europe's coronavirus-devastated economy through a green new deal Wednesday, in her … “By using the European Green Deal as our compass, we can turn the crisis of this pandemic into an opportunity to rebuild our economies differently and make them more resilient,” the Commission president said. “We can make our society and our planet healthier by investing in renewable energy, by driving clean cars, by renovating our houses and making them energy efficient. This summer — with record heat waves crashing over Europe — climate activists appeared to find an unlikely champion: the conservative German politician Ursula von der Leyen. Geplant ist ein kompletter Umbau von Energieversorgung, Industrie, Verkehr und Landwirtschaft. Contact us, By continuing to browse the website, you are agreeing to our. Under Ursula von der Leyen’s leadership, we will work together,” he said. ... Trump's CPAC speech … Written by The Sofia Globe staff on September 16, 2020 in Europe - Comments Off European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her first State of the Union speech to the European Parliament on September 16. Latest news, analysis and comment from POLITICO’s editors and guest writers on French politics. “Let me be clear: There will be a difficult debate about the allocation of funds. The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, promised on Wednesday (16 September) that the Green Deal will lead the investment plan needed in Europe for a future-orientated "true recovery". Latest news, analysis and comment on migration in Europe and beyond. Though she tapped the center-left Dutch politician Frans Timmermans as her commissioner for a “European Green Deal,” she handed the “Economy that Works for People” portfolio to Valdis Dombrovskis, a former Latvian prime minister and the chief architect of the country’s austerity program. It aims to deliver on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's Green Deal to make the bloc the world's first carbon-neutral continent by 2050. Alas, the European Union — in its institutional structure, as in its political process — does not permit a holistic approach. Required fields are marked *. ), “By using the European Green Deal as our compass, we can turn the crisis of this pandemic into an opportunity to rebuild our economies differently and make them more resilient,” the Commission President said. The three EU initiatives will all be released by the end of September as planned, Ćorić said, underling the importance of building renovation as part of the European recovery plan. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for inviting me again. Latest news, analysis and comment on elections in Europe and beyond. European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, gave a special address to Davos Agenda Week. October 16, 2019 4:00 am. In-depth reporting, data and actionable intelligence for policy professionals – all in one place. | “With the European Green Deal the EU Commission has shown the way forward,” Merkel said in a speech by video link. “It will not be possible. The record doesn’t bode well. By logging in, you confirm acceptance of our POLITICO Privacy Policy. However, if elected, his group was ready to provide its support “whenever the proposals would … At the commissioner hearings last week, Timmermans downplayed the split. Dombrovskis is tasked with transforming the European Investment Bank into a climate bank. Sep 2020, 07:03. The European Green Deal is Europe’s new growth strategy. “We require clarification on how exactly you foresee Mr. Dombrovskis’ collaboration with other relevant commissioners in order to deliver on the ambitious and progressive cross-sectorial set of policies you have entrusted him with, including within the scope of the Green New Deal,” S&D group leader Iratxe Garcia-Perez wrote in a letter to von der Leyen. 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