The Future of the EU – Background Paper

Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf; Dr. Ralph Bodle; LLM

The Future of the EU – Background Paper

Compromises for expanding ordinary legislative procedure and majority voting in climate and energy policies

Publication: Report
Citation: Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils et. al. 2019: The Future of the EU. Compromises for expanding ordinary legislative procedure and majority voting in climate and energy policies. Background Paper. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

The EU adopts essential climate issues – such as carbon taxation – by special legislative procedures. This means that the European Parliament is not an equal co-legislator and the Council decides by unanimous vote, providing each Member State with a veto. This is a problem because the urgency of climate action requires swift and bold EU action. EU climate action cannot afford a governance structure that allows one Member State to hold all others hostage in essential areas of climate action. A new Ecologic paper explores how to address this problem.

Contact

Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf

Head, International and European Governance

Senior Fellow

EU Climate Policy & EU Reform: Pretty much best friends – Infographic

Year 2019

Publication:Article

Maintaining a strong EU and implementing effective climate policies go hand in hand with one another. Indeed, they are pretty much the best of friends. A stable, prosperous and climate-resilient Europe requires effective climate action; and effective climate action needs a strong EU. When addressed from this angle, there is a lot of agreement among EU policymakers, who often speak about the importance of climate action when addressing the future of the EU. However, there is more to it than general agreement. Climate policies and the future of the EU can reinforce each other in concrete ways. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available for download.

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Two Birds with One Stone

Year 2019

Publication:Article

On 9 May 2019, the European Council meets in Sibiu (Romania). Not long ago, this meeting was expected to be an important milestone in the Process on the Future of the EU. Now, expectations are much lower. Avoiding controversy is the first order of business. But the core questions of the Process on the Future of the EU will not go away: how to maintain and develop a strong EU? This question will stick with us, and it will keep the new Parliament and the new Commission busy. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available online.

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Pretty Much Best Friends

Year 2019

Publication:Document

In response to Brexit, the EU embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform, the so-called Bratislava Process or the Process on the Future of Europe. At its meeting on 9 May 2019, the European Council was expected to draw first conclusions. As a contribution to this process, the Ecologic Institute, the Istituto Affari Internazionali, the Institute of European Environment Policies and the Climate Strategy Institute 2050 offered a number of recommendations to EU policy makers on how EU climate policies can support this process, and on how climate policies can benefit from it. The recommendations are available for download.

The Future of the EU – the Role of Climate and Energy Policies – Recommendations

Conclusions

Year 2019

Publication:Document

Triggered by Brexit, the EU began a process of reflection, soul-searching and possibly reform – the so-called "Bratislava process" or the "process on the Future of Europe". EU institutions, Member States and civil society have made a number of contributions to this process. This paper of the Ecologic Institute discusses how the EU reform process can help improve EU climate and energy policies.

How Can EU Reform Strengthen EU Climate and Energy Policies? – Background Paper

Year 2018

Publication:Document

Triggered by Brexit, the EU began a process of reflection, soul-searching and possibly reform – the so-called "Bratislava process" or the "process on the Future of Europe". EU institutions, Member States and civil society have made a number of contributions to this process. This paper of the Ecologic Institute discusses how EU climate and energy policies can support the EU reform process.

How Can EU Climate and Energy Policies Support EU Reform? – Background Paper

Year 2018

Publication:Conference Paper

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2018: Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies in a Reformed EU? Discussion Paper for the Working Group Meeting on 24 April 2018. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies in a Reformed EU? – Discussion Paper

Year 2018

Project

The EU has been going through a series of crises – from the Eurozone crisis and Brexit to controversies about the rule of law, democracy and migration. In response to Brexit, the EU has embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform. As a contribution to this process, Ecologic Institute explores EU climate and energy policies as part of the block’s future. Two background papers are available for download.

Future of the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies?

Jan 2018 - Jun 2019

Language: English
Authorship: Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf

Dr. Ralph Bodle, LLM

Lisa Meinecke
Funding: Stiftung Mercator, Germany
Year: 2019
Dimension: 9 pp.
Project: Future of the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies?
Project ID: 2299
Table of contents: Click to show full table of contents

Summary
Background: Why more ordinary legislative procedure in EU climate policies?
How to expand ordinary legislative process?
Who supports expanding ordinary legislative procedure, who is against it?
Options for compromise: How to strike a balance between effective EU climate action through more ordinary legislative procedures and concerns of national sovereignty
Keywords: Climate

Energy

EU

reform process, EU, European Union

Europe

analysis

Download: The Future of the EU – Background Paper [pdf, 162 kB, English]

Further Links

PublicationDocumentThe Future of the EU – the Role of Climate and Energy Policies – Recommendations

In response to Brexit, the EU embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform, the so-called Bratislava Process or the Process on the Future of Europe. At its meeting on 9 May 2019, the European Council was expected to draw first conclusions. As a contribution... Read more

Ecologic Institute, the Istituto Affari Internazionali, the Institute of European Environment Policies, the Climate Strategy Institute 2050 2019: The Future of the EU – the Role of Climate and Energy Policies. Conclusions.

PublicationDocumentHow Can EU Climate and Energy Policies Support EU Reform? – Background Paper

Triggered by Brexit, the EU began a process of reflection, soul-searching and possibly reform – the so-called "Bratislava process" or the "process on the Future of Europe". EU institutions, Member States and civil society have made a number of contributions to this... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils (2018). How can EU climate and energy policies support EU reform?, Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

PublicationDocumentHow Can EU Reform Strengthen EU Climate and Energy Policies? – Background Paper

Triggered by Brexit, the EU began a process of reflection, soul-searching and possibly reform – the so-called "Bratislava process" or the "process on the Future of Europe". EU institutions, Member States and civil society have made a number of contributions to this... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils (2018). How can EU reform strengthen EU climate and energy policies?, Ecologic Institute, Berlin.

EventWorkshopReforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Tallinn

On 4 December 2017, at the end of Estonia's EU presidency, a high-level workshop discussed Estonian views on the EU reform process, and the role of climate and energy policies in it. This event is part of a series of workshops on EU reform and its links to climate... Read more

Workshop:Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Tallinn

Date: 4 December 2017
Location: Tallinn, Estonia

EventWorkshopReforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Sofia

On 18 April 2018, at the middle of Bulgaria's presidency of the European Union, a high-level workshop discussed Bulgaria's views on the EU reform process, and the role of climate and energy policies in it. This event is part of a series of workshops on EU reform... Read more

Workshop:Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Sofia

Date: 18 April 2018
Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

EventWorkshopReforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Bucharest

On 17 April 2018, a few month's before Romania's EU presidency, a high-level workshop discussed Rumanian views on the EU reform process, and the role of climate and energy policies in it. This event is part of a series of workshops on EU reform and its links to... Read more

Workshop:Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies? – Bucharest

Date: 17 April 2018
Location: Bucharest, Romania

PublicationConference PaperReforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies in a Reformed EU? – Discussion Paper

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2018: Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies in a Reformed EU? Discussion Paper for the Working Group Meeting on 24 April 2018. Ecologic Institute: Berlin. ... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils 2018: Reforming the EU: What Role for Climate and Energy Policies in a Reformed EU? Discussion Paper for the Working Group Meeting on 24 April 2018. Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

ProjectReforming the EU: Climate Policies as the New Trade Mark of the EU

The EU has been going through a series of crises – from the Eurozone crisis and Brexit to controversy around migration, from external threats to the rise of Eurosceptic and nationalistic parties in some Member States. In response, the EU has embarked on an extensive... Read more

Reforming the EU: Climate Policies as the New Trade Mark of the EU

Duration: Nov 2017 - Jun 2019
Funding: Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Germany

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Germany

PublicationArticleEU Reform and Climate Policies – Pretty Much Best Friends

On 9 May 2019, the European Council will meet in Sibiu, Romania. Not long ago, this meeting was expected to be an important milestone in the Process on the Future of the EU. Some even called this process "the Sibiu Process". This seems to be a long time ago. Now,... Read more

Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils and Sebastian Oberthür 2019: EU Reform and Climate Policies – Pretty Much Best Friends. [Blog] Governing the EU's Climate and Energy Transition in Turbulent Times (GOVTRAN). Available at: https://www.govtran.eu/govtran-media/eu-reform-and-climate-policies-pretty-much-best-friends/ [Accessed 8 May 2019].

PublicationInfographicEU Climate Policy & EU Reform: Pretty much best friends – Infographic

In response to Brexit, the EU has embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform. As a contribution to this process, the Ecologic Institute explores the interlinkages between the process on the Future of the EU and EU climate and energy policies. This... Read more

Ecologic Institute (2019): EU Climate Policy & EU Reform: Pretty much best friends. Infographic.

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