Newsletter EUBIA
July 2017
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News 
Article 12 of the Statutes of the BBI JU (in the annex of the Council Regulation (EU) No 560/2014) amended for the call for proposals 2018


A discussion took place at ITRE Committee on the Commission’s proposal to amend the Council Regulation (EU) No 560/2014 of 6 May 2014 establishing the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking. The main issue of the regulation concerns the need to modify the financial contribution management to operational costs (art 12). According to the present regulation, the private sector -represented by BIC- is expected to give financial contributions for operational costs directly to the BBI JU budget (financial contributions at a programme level). As a result, many companies have no benefit from the projects being financed from such contributions by the BBI JU. The solution identified by the European Commission and BIC consists in allowing companies to deliver financial contributions also by making direct payments to other beneficiaries in the consortium (financial contributions at project level). Read the Parliament draft report here. 
Rapporteur: Miroslav Poche (S&D, Czech Republic)
The European Commission Urban Water Atlas for Europe


The Urban Water Atlas Europe published by the EC Joint Research Centre on April 2017, shows  how the different management choices as well as factors such as waste management, climate change and food preferences affect the long-term sustainability of water usage in more than 40 European cities. The atlas aims to encourage water conservation and inform citizens, local authorities and experts about good practices of an efficiently and sustainably water usage. The Atlas provides a City Blueprint tool and City Amberprint tool. A similar Atlas has been previously published on forest tree species and soil biodiversity. 
Results from the public consultation identifying challenges for future Common Agricultural Policy

The Online Public Consultation on modernising and simplifying the CAP was launched on 2 February 2017 with the aim of collecting views from farmers, organisations and other interested parties on the current CAP and future changes. According to the results, the main goals of CAP should be: keep the status quo of a common agricultural policy managed at EU level; support farmers (in terms of increasing their incomes); as well as protect the environment, biodiversity and ensure sustainable use of pesticides and fertilisers. 
 
Publication of Guide on Biomass to Energy

The International Financial Corporation (World Bank Group) published a guide on biomass to energy, addressed to investors of the energy market. Increasing access to power is a key priority for IFC and biomass is a crucial contributor in order to meet the energy needs in emerging countries.  Click here to read the full report.

Launch of the EU Sugar Market Observatory

The 11th of July took place a first meeting of the sugar expert group, made up of 14 organisations of the sugar and sweeteners supply chain and officials from Commission’s agriculture and rural development department. The group aims to provide more transparency on the EU sugar sector by providing market data and short-term analysis on the current situation.
 


Air pollution in Europe highly affected by emissions deriving from agriculture

The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a briefing on “NEC Directive reporting status 2017”, which contains information on how Member States are meeting their emission ceilings under the NEC directive. The NEC directive restricts emissions for five key air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Based on the data, 11 Member States have exceeded their respective emission ceilings for one or more pollutants in 2015. 
At the EU level, emissions for three pollutants (NMVOCs, SO2, and fine particulate matter PM2.5) are already below the EU’s 2020 emission reduction commitment. Only for NOx a further reduction of 9 % is required by the EU as a whole in order to meet the 2020 commitment. Emissions of NH3 increased in the EU, from 2014 to 2015 by 1.7% , due to higher emissions from the agriculture sector.

Vote of the LULUCF regulation at the ENVI committee


On 11th of July, the ENVI committee voted on the last controversial issues regarding the Inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry into the 2030 climate and energy framework (LULUCF). Negotiations concerned the establishment of a reference period for the forest reference levels, the value of the cap for the use of forest management credits to offset emissions from other land use activities, and the EU governance system for the review of forest reference levels.
Consequently, emissions from energy produced from biomass will be taken into account when evaluating Member States’ effort in reaching CO2 emission reduction for the 2021-2030 period. 
Rapporteur: Norbert LINS (EPP, Germany)
 

MEPs approve draft report on review of EU Fertilisers Regulation


On 13th of July, 30 MEPs of IMCO Committee voted in favor of the draft report by Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz (EPP, Hungary) reviewing the fertilising products regulation, proposed on March 2016 as part of the circular economy action plan.
The regulation introduces some changes, such as: application of the regulation to a wider range of fertilising products and introduction of specific harmonised requirements regarding quality, safety and labelling. Read more here.
Call for applications 

Interreg North-West Europe call for proposals
 
The next Interreg North-West Europe (2014-2020) call for proposals will be open from the 16th of October to the 17th of November 2017. The call aims to support transnational cooperation initiatives with  project proposals addressing main challenges of the North-West Europe area.  The themes selected for the 2014-2020 period are the followings: innovation, low carbon, resource and material efficiency.
Several info day events will be taking place in UK, Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium (21st of September) before the call opening.
 
 Matchmaking Mission on Renewables


Low Carbon Business Action (LCBA) Matchmaking Mission #8 – Renewables (solar PV, wind and biomass) will be held between the 3-6 of October in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil.
Low Carbon Business Action is a European Union funded initiative aiming at engaging small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from Brazil and from the EU Member States through a series of business matchmaking missions to be held until December 2017.
The call for applications for the matchmaking mission on renewable energy (Solar Photovoltaic, Wind, Biomass) for October 3-6, is now open. Travel costs of selected SMEs will be 80% reimbursed. Apply here.
For more information please contact info@lowcarbonbrazil.com
 
Events
European Biomass to Power, 8-9 November 2017, Aarhus, Denmark
 

The conference represents an excellent networking opportunity, as well as an occasion to get informed and discuss on the latest developments of the European biomass market. Case studies will be provided to give detailed examples of planning, finance and technology strategies employed for biomass co-generation projects.

A limited number of conference delegates will have the opportunity to visit Dong Energy’s Skaerbaek & Studstrup Power Stations on the 7th of November 2017, as well as the Biomass fired CHP plant in Lisbjerg and Verdo’s CHP Plant (KVR) on the 8th of November 2017.

Don’t miss this occasion and register now!

EUBIA’s members have a 20% discount for registrations taking place until 31st of July, and 15% of discount until the 25th of October. Contact us for more details. More information are available at the following link, and  website.
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