The Council of the European Union has adopted the so-called climate and energy package which included the following proposals:
- Proposal Directive on the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (RES)
- Proposal on the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
- Proposal on to decrease the emissions from sectors not included in the Emissions Trading Scheme (burden shared between the Member States)
- Proposal on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS)
The vote took place without any further discussion and simply formally endorsed the agreement reached by the Council back in December 2008. The quick adoption of such a package of measures shows how climate change is seen as a critical issue by the Commission but also by the individual Member States. France which was then holding the EU Presidency has indeed made the adoption of the Climate and Energy package a question of national prestige.
Click here to download the full press release of the EU Council.