The EU Environment Committee said the bloc must “remain firm” on climate change and the timetable for the Climate Law, despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The European Parliament Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety made the point during a debate on the Green Deal and pending law with European Commission executive vice-president Frans Timmermans.
Recently Parliament called on the Commission to propose a recovery and reconstruction package that “should have at its core the Green Deal and the digital transformation in order to kick start the economy”.
Timmermans agreed and added that the European Green Deal “is not a luxury, but a lifeline to get out of the coronavirus crisis”.
He said Pan-European answers are needed and a green recovery is “not only possible but crucial”.
Timmermans added Europe “would lose out twice” if investment is mobilised to restore the “old economy before making it green and sustainable”.
While all MEPs in the debate agreed solving the pandemic is the “immediate priority”, many underlined the need to keep the timetable on important parts of the European Green Deal.
Timmermans said the timetable for the EU Climate Law is unchanged, with a revised reduction target proposal for 2030 foreseen for September.
The EU biodiversity strategy and the farm-to-fork strategy remain important priorities, but would have to be delayed “a few weeks, but not months”, he added.
On 28 November 2019 the European Parliament declared a climate emergency in Europe and globally.
MEPs also asked for all relevant EU legislative and budgetary proposals to be fully aligned with the objective of limiting global warming to under 1.5°C.
The EC proposed the European Green Deal on 11 December 2019, which was followed up with a proposal for an EU Climate Law on 4 March 2020 to ensure a climate-neutral EU by 2050.
The Climate Law has to be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers through the ordinary legislative procedure.