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1. European programmes to promote environmental skills
The European Commission’s directorate general on environment has published a study on programmes to promote environmental skills. The study looks at environmental skills programmes in six European countries, including the UK, and found a variety of approvals among member states in environmental skills programmes. The most common method of financing environmental skills programmes is a mix of public-private as there is considerable public funding of skills programmes conducted in partnership with companies. Overall, the study shows that there is potential to promote exchange of best practice, not only between member states but also between businesses and others involved in the development of green workforce skills.
2. Greenhouse gas emissions registries approved by Council
The Council of the European Union has held a General Affairs Council. The Council decided not to oppose adoption by the Commission of a regulation on an EU system of registries of greenhouse gas emissions permits. The electronic databases are used to track the issue, holding, transfer and cancellation of emission allowances and emission reduction credits, to provide for public access and confidentiality as appropriate and to ensure that there are no transfers which are incompatible with the EU's obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. The regulation will change the existing system of registries as of 1 January 2012, repealing Commission regulation 994/2008.
3. European economic recovery in the automotive sector
Total motor vehicle production in the first quarter of 2010 rebounded by 34% from the very low levels of 2009, but was still 17% down compared with the first quarter of 2008. The current forecasts are that production will stay at the same level throughout 2010 and begin to recover in mid-2011. The recovery to pre-crisis level is not foreseen before 2014. Regarding the passenger cars sales, the figure for 2009 shows a 5.8% decrease of the Top Ten automotive brands in comparison to the year earlier. The current reduction in sales (in 2010) is due to an adjustment of sales level following the termination of demand incentives being phased out. After the end of the scrappage schemes the sales number has dropped altogether by 500,000 units for passenger cars in the Western Europe member states. Additional pressure will come from the need to restructure as already before the crisis the physical overcapacity in the sector was estimated at 20%. The sales of light and heavy duty commercial vehicles indicate that they have been affected much more severely than passenger cars, with commercial vehicle (trucks and buses) sales being 34% lower in 11 months of 2009 over the previous year. A small recovery is expected in 2010 and further improvements in 2011.
4. Economic and Social Committee on electric vehicles
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) has published an opinion entitled “Toward the wider uptake of electric vehicles”. The EESC suuports moves in Europe towards the wider uptake of electric vehicles (EVs). The EESC supports all the actions proposed by the Commission in its recent communication on clean and energy efficient vehicles. On the technological side the EESC recommends a number of priorities for R&D, for acceleration of key standardisation programmes, for expanding relevant skills and training programmes, and for managing and smoothing changes in the pattern of employment in the car sector and associated sectors.
5. European Commission calls for new ‘Green Car’ research proposals
The European Commission has called for potential researchers to put forward new proposals for research under the 'Green Cars' public-private partnership. €3.2 billion has been earmarked for European public-private partnerships (PPPs) dedicated to the development of new technologies in the manufacturing, construction and automotive sectors. Now, a second call for proposals, 'FP7-SST-2011-RTD-1', published on 20 July 2010, is set to inject €40.25 million into the key market area of sustainable surface transport. At a special session on the 'Green Cars' PPP, the director of transport at the European Commission’s Research Directorate-General (DG RTD), András Siegler, said: "The transition to greener vehicles in Europe is an important one. It is needed to sustain our automotive industry, our environment and our mobility." Green Cars is one of the three PPPs included in the European Commission's 2008 economic recovery package. It makes available €5 billion to boost the automotive industry and to support the development of new, sustainable forms of road transport. Of this sum, €4 billion are being made available through loans by the European Investment Bank. The remaining €1 billion is being provided under the EU's Research Framework Programme and by the private sector.
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