Eight EU leaders unsuccessful at delaying EC's green taxonomy - report

Leaders of eight EU countries have called on the European Commission (EC) to delay its proposal for the EU sustainable finance taxonomy for its exclusion of nuclear energy and natural gas from the green guide to finance, Brussels-based outlet Euractiv reports.

Nevertheless, the so-called EU Taxonomy Climate Delegated Act, containing technical screening criteria for determining which economic activity qualifies as climate-friendly, saw the light of day today, with the EC saying that the text will be formally adopted at the end of May.

In a joint letter, leaders of Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania and Slovakia expressed disagreement over the EC’s decision to leave out nuclear and natural gas from the current delegated act to include them in a separate legislation.

“We believe that it would be wrong to mark nuclear and gas for a transitional period of time clearly as not green and it will substantially harm countries with a strong share of industry in their economy,” the leaders said in the letter, which Euractiv obtained and released online.

The heads of states further argue that the proposal does not respect the principle of technological neutrality, expressing concern over each country’s right to decide on its energy mix “in conditions where the rules would clearly disadvantage some technologies”.

The eight leaders were seeking a solution within the delegated act, “even if it costs a delay in adopting the legislation”.

In his reaction to the letter, MEP Martin Hojsik told Euractiv Slovakia that the initiative to recognise natural gas and nuclear as green would amount to holding renewables as hostage.

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