Eleven EU countries call to ban fossil fuels from trans-European energy infrastructure

(EurActiv, 6 May 2021) Eleven EU countries have signed a declaration calling on the European Union to stop funding fossil fuels under its trans-European energy infrastructure regulation (TEN-E), which is currently under revision.

EU jargon for an informal document – follows discussions in Brussels on Wednesday (5 May) about the contribution of Europe’s infrastructure to decarbonisation and the green transition.

The signatories – Austria, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Luxembourg, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden – emphasise the role that decarbonising the energy system will have in reaching Europe’s 2030 and 2050 climate goals.

Fossil fuels will need to play an increasingly smaller role in the energy system as the EU aims to cut emissions by more than half by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

They add that the revision of the TEN-E regulation should exclude funding fossil fuel infrastructure that would lock Europe into carbon-emitting energy sources or strand assets, like gas pipelines.

“Luxembourg is proud to be part of this declaration alongside Denmark and nine other Member States, sharing the view that fossil fuels are not our future,” said Luxembourg energy minister, Claude Turmes, on Twitter.

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EurActiv, 6 May 2021: Eleven EU countries call to ban fossil fuels from trans-European energy infrastructure