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The European Union on Wednesday unveiled sweeping new legislation to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade. Virginia Mayo/AP hide caption

The European Union on Wednesday unveiled sweeping new legislation to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade.

BRUSSELS The European Union unveiled sweeping new legislation Wednesday to help meet its pledge to cut emissions of the gases that cause global warming by 55% over this decade, including a controversial plan to tax foreign companies for the pollution they cause.

The legislation presented by the EU's executive branch, the European Commission, encompasses about a dozen major proposals, ranging from the de-facto phasing out of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035 to new levies on gases from heating buildings.

They involve a revamp of the bloc's emissions trading program, under which companies pay for carbon dioxide they emit, and introduce taxes on shipping and aviation fuels for the first time.

Most of the proposals build on existing laws that were designed to meet the EU's old goal of a 40% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels and must be endorsed by the 27 member countries and EU lawmakers.

World leaders agreed six years ago in Paris to work to keep global temperatures from increasing more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), and ideally no more than 1.5 degrees C (2.7 F) by the end of the century. Scientists say both goals will be missed by a wide margin unless drastic steps are taken to reduce emissions.

"The principle is simple: emission of CO2 must have a price, a price on CO2 that incentivizes consumers, producers and innovators to choose the clean technologies, to go toward the clean and sustainable products," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.

The commission wants to exploit the public mood for change provoked by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's already channeling more than one-third of a massive recovery package aimed at reviving European economies ravaged by coronavirus restrictions into climate-oriented goals.

The aim of the "Fit for 55" legislation, commission officials say, is to ween the continent off fossil fuels and take better care of the environment by policy design, rather than be forced into desperate measures at some future climatic tipping point, when it's all but too late.

European Commission Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans said that by failing to act now, "we would fail our children and grandchildren, who in my view, if we don't fix this, will be fighting wars over water and food."

Given the implications, the proposals are certain to be subject to intense lobbying from industry and environmental groups as they pass through the legislative process over at least the next year. They'll also face resistance because of the very different energy mixes in member countries, ranging from coal-reliant Poland to nuclear-dependent France.

Germany's environment minister, Svenja Schulze, said negotiations need to focus on maintaining the ambitious targets in a reliable way, be fair to the poor and ensure all of Europe "goes down this path together."

"National solo efforts won't lead to the goal," she said. "There needs to be a coordinated, massive expansion of sun and wind power from the North Sea to the Mediterranean."

Echoing the thoughts of some climate scientists, Oxfam EU head Evelien van Roemburg urged the member countries and lawmakers to be more ambitious than the European Commission.

"They must step up ambition by ensuring all EU climate rules contribute to carbon emission cuts of at least 65% in 2030, rather than the current 55%," she said.

Among the legislation's most controversial elements is a plan for a "Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism." It would impose duties on foreign companies and therefore increase the price of certain goods, notably steel, aluminum, concrete and fertilizer.

The aim is to ease pressure on European producers that cut emissions but struggle to compete with importers that don't have the same environmental restrictions.

The question is how the EU known for its staunch defense of open trade will ensure that the carbon tax complies with World Trade Organization rules and not be considered a protectionist measure.

Another concern is the need to help those likely to be hit by rising energy prices. The commission is proposing the creation of a "social climate fund" worth several billion euros to help those who might be hardest hit.

"This fund will support income and it will support investments to tackle energy poverty and to cut bills for vulnerable households and small businesses," von der Leyen said.

But Martha Myers, a member of the climate justice team at Friends of the Earth Europe, said the decision to extend emissions trading to buildings "throws low-income people into high energy price waters while offering only a swimming float of support to relieve energy poverty."

Under Fit for 55, a drastic acceleration in sales of battery-powered cars also is likely as the EU aims for a 100% reduction in auto emissions.

Hildegard Mueller, president of the German Association of the Automobile Industry, said the industry supports the EU goal of reaching climate neutrality by 2050. But she said that goal can only be accomplished "if the consumers and companies can implement these goals."

Mueller warned of a "substantial" impact on jobs at auto suppliers that would struggle with the pace of the changeover.

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European Union Unveils Climate Plan To Cut Emissions By 55% This Decade - NPR

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Central Asia plays a strategic role in promoting Euro Asian connectivity, fostering peace and regional security. The EU, together with partners, contributes to these efforts and supports a broad range of sustainable connectivity projects in Central Asia and Afghanistan. Cross border cooperation, energy connections, as well as people-to-people contacts bring benefits to the countries of the region.

The Border Management Programme together to security and sustainable development

One of the most successful regional programmes supported by the EU is the Border Management Programme in Central Asia (BOMCA). Since 2003, it is providing support in the five Central Asian States to address regional border security challenges. The Programme aims to improve cross-border cooperation and border management systems, strengthen institutional capacities and facilitate trade, based on international standards and best EU practice.

Since April 2021, the 10th phase of the programme, BOMCA 10, integrates Afghanistan, acknowledging the importance of border security in the country for the stability of the whole region. The EU-funded programme in Central Asia and Afghanistan (EUR 21.7 million) aims at improving border management, enhancing the fight against drug smuggling and trafficking as well as facilitating movement of goods and cargo across the borders to promote intra-regional trade. Building on the success of the previous phases, BOMCA 10 will boost connectivity in the region and will play a key role in fostering regional dialogue and ensuring peace and security in the region.

More than 3,300 state officials from the Central Asian beneficiary agencies were already engaged in BOMCA 9, and 223 individual activities were completed between 2015 and 2020. The Central Asian countries have benefited from assistance with the surveillance and control type equipment for the border checkpoints and modern technologies for the training entities. At the start of COVID-19 pandemic, BOMCA also gave its support and provided protective equipment for border guards.

Supporting the Economic Empowerment of Afghan Women through Education and Training

In Afghanistan, due to poverty, gender stereotypes, harmful social norms or security concerns, girls face challenges in accessing education. As they grow up, women face disproportionate barriers to education compared to men and endure persisting stereotypes that prevent them from attending university, realising their potential and pursuing economic opportunities. Less than 30 percent of the labour force in Afghanistan are women.

*So many obstacles had to be overcome on my path to acquiring a technical degree. I am convinced that if women push forward hard enough, they have the power to change the world and to make it a better place for today and for future generations*, says Asifa Afzali, an Afghan student from the Mining Faculty at Satbayev University, Almaty.

The EU-funded project on Empowering Afghan Women, implemented by the UNDP helps them fulfil their dreams and aspirations. Until 2025, 50 Afghan women will receive scholarships to pursue degree studies in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and complete their studies. Women, participating in the programme, will be equipped with adequate employment skills. They will enhance their employability and increase their chances of getting decent jobs. Upon returning to their homeland, empowered women will have the potential to contribute to Afghanistans economy and their livelihoods.

The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission Project improving electricity access for greater living conditions and development

In Central Asia, the Kyrgyz Republic and Tajikistan have some of the worlds most abundant clean hydropower resources, enabling them to enjoy a surplus of electricity during the summer season. On the contrary, the South Asian countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan suffer from chronic electricity shortages and struggle to meet their citizens electricity needs, facing a growing demand. Altogether, non-access to electricity and frequent power cuts are detrimental to the citizens quality of life, business and industry.

The Central Asia-South Asia Electricity Transmission Project (CASA-1000), supported by the European Investment Bank (EIB) and other lending institutions, connects the four countries to create the conditions for sustainable electricity trade and regional autonomy. CASA-1000 helps the two Central Asian countries to make the most efficient use of clean hydropower resources through the transfer and sell of their electricity surplus. The project includes construction of high voltage transmission infrastructure as well as technical assistance and community support programs.

By enabling to fill the electricity supply gaps in the South Asian countries and increasing export revenues for Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, the project helps alleviate poverty in some of the poorest parts of the world and encourage economic growth. It complements the countries efforts to improve electricity access, integrate, and expand markets to increase trade. The project enhances energy security and regional stability, and paves the way for the creation of a regional electricity market.

The EU stands committed to maintaining this level of engagement in the region and supporting its partners with its expertise, investment, norms and standards, for the benefit of the people and of the region.

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The European Union supports better interconnections in Central Asia and Afghanistan - Afghanistan - ReliefWeb

Leader of Civic Platform (PO) party Donald Tusk attends a news conference in Warsaw, Poland July 4, 2021. Slawomir Kaminski/Agencja Gazeta via REUTERS

WARSAW, July 16 (Reuters) - Poland and Hungary's conflicts with the European Union could start a process that results in the bloc falling apart, former European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Friday, amid a worsening standoff over democratic standards.

Brussels is at loggerheads with Warsaw and Budapest over issues such as the independence of the judiciary and press freedoms, a conflict which deepened this week as Poland's Constitutional Tribunal ruled the country should not comply with demands from the EU's top court, while the European Commission took legal action against both countries over LGBT rights. read more

"If more of these kinds of countries are found who insist on damaging... the European Union it may simply mean the end of this organisation," Tusk, who has returned to domestic politics as leader of Poland's main opposition party Civic Platform (PO), told private broadcaster TVN24.

Surveys show an overwhelming majority of Poles support EU membership, and there is no legal way to throw countries out of the bloc.

However Tusk, who helped steer the European Union through a tumultuous period marked by Brexit, said the risk of an eventual exit existed.

"We will not leave the EU tomorrow, and the EU will not fall apart the day after tomorrow. These are processes that can take years," he said.

The European Union's top court ruled on Thursday that Poland should suspend a disciplinary chamber for judges it says fails to meet the necessary standards of independence.

A day earlier the Polish Constitutional Tribunal ruled a previous demand for the chamber's suspension ran counter to Poland's constitution and the country should not comply.

On Friday, the first president of Poland's Supreme Court, Malgorzata Manowska, issued a statement in which she said she was "deeply convinced" that the disciplinary chamber was independent.

Reporting by Alan CharlishEditing by Alistair Bell

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Poland's Tusk says conflicts with EU could eventually end the bloc - Reuters

Who is paying?

Ireland is to receive 1 billion in grants largely over the next two years from a European Union stimulus fund designed to counteract the damage of the Covid-19 pandemic and make economies more green and digital.

Plans for how to spend the money, including on Cork commuter rail, peat restoration, and unemployment re-training programmes were unveiled as European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen visited Dublin on Friday.

But what is the scheme and how does it all work?

Ireland is to receive 914 million for 2021-2022 and a further roughly 75 million after that. The latter sum is calculated depending on how the economy fares due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so can change.

The money is in the form of grants, not loans, and so does not need to be directly repaid to the European Commission. It is Irelands slice of a massive EU 750 billion stimulus package.

There are no net payers or net beneficiaries of this programme as of now. It is not like the EU budget, into which each member state contributes funds, and to which Ireland has been a net contributor since 2013.

It is based on joint borrowing: the first time this has ever been done by the EU.

The European Commission is currently raising funds on the financial markets at historically low interest rates to distribute as the stimulus money to member states. The Commission loans are due for repayment between 2027 and 2058.

The executive has proposed several initiatives to raise revenue to allow it to repay the loans directly without the need for member state contributions. These include an extension of an emissions trading system, which makes polluters pay for the emissions they release; a levy on imports into the EU that are made to lower environmental standards; a single market tax on the largest companies; and a tax on digital multinationals though this has been put on pause.

If these options are not adequate, the 27 EU member states will collectively pay back the borrowing. What percentage each member state will repay will be calculated in a similar way to the EU budget: based on each countrys gross national income year-by-year.

It is impossible to know in advance the relative size of each countrys gross national income in the future. How much the Commission will be able to repay directly through its proposed levies is also unknown. For this reason, it is not possible to calculate now how much the fund will cost Ireland, compared to how much it receives. In addition, the plan as a whole, including its positive impacts on the economies of other EU member states, is expected to increase the size of Irelands economy.

The proportion each country receives was calculated based on economic performance going into the pandemic, and on the impact of the crisis on GDP.

Ireland had the fastest-growing economy in the EU for some years and a relatively low unemployment rate. Once Covid-19 struck, it was the only economy to grow in the EU in 2020, supported by strong multinational exports. For this reason, Irelands allocation of funds is among the smallest in the EU.

The countries set for the highest allocations are those that had underlying economic weaknesses going into the pandemic, and which were hit hardest by the crisis, particularly due to tourism and hospitality forming a large part of their economy. Italy is set to receive 68.9 billion in grants, Spain 69.5 billion, Greece 17.8 billion and Portugal 13.9 billion.

Member states agreed rules about spending in advance. At least 37 per cent had to be spend on climate initiatives (Irelands percentage is 40 per cent); a fifth had to go on digitalisation (Irelands is 32 per cent). No spending could do any harm to environmental goals.

Each country produced a plan within these rules, while committing to implement existing recommendations for reforms by the Commission (for Ireland, this includes measures to tackle aggressive tax planning, provide more affordable housing, and implement Slintecare).

The idea behind the spending is that it should make countries economies fitter for the future. Each country can claim 13 per cent of grants up front, and then must demonstrate targets met to qualify for more.

There are concerns among some member states about whether the money will be well spent. Hungarys plan is currently held up; the Commission has not approved it due to concerns about insufficient safeguards against corruption.

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Q&A: What is the European Union stimulus fund and who is paying for it? - The Irish Times

LONDON When the British rock band Two Door Cinema Club began playing shows across Europe a decade ago, the groups three members would jump in a van, throw their instruments in the back and drive from their then hometown, Belfast, Northern Ireland, to sweaty clubs in Amsterdam, Berlin, and Paris.

We did that hundreds of times, Kevin Baird, the groups bassist, said recently by phone. Everything was at a moments notice, he added.

Now, its not so simple for Two Door Cinema Club or any British act to tour Europe. Last Friday, the band headlined the Crulla music festival in Barcelona, Spain, playing to an audience of 25,000 screaming fans. But because of Britains 2020 departure from the European Union, known as Brexit, the band spent weeks beforehand applying for visas and immersing themselves in complicated new rules around trucking and exporting merchandise like T-shirts.

Visas and travel within Britain to apply for them cost 7,500 pounds, about $10,400, for the band, two extra musicians, and an eight-person crew, Baird said. New rules mean that a British tour van carrying audio and lighting equipment, or merchandise, can only make three stops in mainland Europe before it must return home.

Its proved a headache when there was never a headache before, Baird said. If we were a band starting out, we wouldnt have done it, he added.

For much of this year, Brexit has been an even bigger talking point in Britains music industry than the coronavirus pandemic. Since Jan. 1, when a trade deal between Britain and the European Union came into force, hundreds of British musicians including Dua Lipa and Radiohead have complained that the deal makes touring the continent more costly for stadium acts, and almost impossible for new bands.

The new rules are a looming catastrophe for young musicians, Elton John wrote on Instagram in June. This is about whether one of the U.K.s most successful industries, worth 111 billion a year, is allowed to prosper and contribute hugely to both our cultural and economic wealth, or crash and burn, he added.

Even musicians who supported Brexit have complained. Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden, told a TV interviewer in June that, although he welcomed Britains departure from the European Union, he found the new rules unreasonable. He then addressed Britains government: Get your act together, he said.

The furor over the regulations has led to a blame game between Britains government and the European Union over which side is responsible for the new barriers, and who made viable offers when negotiating the trade deal.

Regardless of who is responsible, the issue has become an embarrassment for the British government. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said his government is working flat out on the issue. We must fix this, he told lawmakers in March.

Yet so far, there hasnt been enough progress to appease musicians. In June, Britain agreed to new trade deals that the government said would allow musicians to tour easily in Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. This was met with disdain: Ah those infamous tours of mountainous Liechtenstein with its total lack of airport, Simone Marie of the band Primal Scream wrote on Twitter.

Were all becoming increasingly despondent, said Annabella Coldrick, the chief executive of the Music Managers Forum, a trade body. In June, she helped launch Let the Music Move, a campaign for the government to compensate artists for the new extra costs and renegotiate the tour rules.

The problems are only just starting to become clear, as the coronavirus pandemic eases and bands start booking tours, Coldrick said. The biggest sticking point was the regulation that vans and trucks can only stop three times before they must return to Britain, she added.

Several British music trucking businesses have already moved some of their operations to Ireland to get around the rules. But Coldrick said this was not a viable solution: Trucks would also have to make longer journeys to pick bands up, increasing costs. It also seemed like a poor outcome for Britain, she said, because the country was losing companies and workers.

For Two Door Cinema Club, the main issue was visas, said Colin Schaverien, the bands manager. In June, a member of the bands crew was rejected for a visa on a technicality related to his job title, so he had to reapply. Another band member, based in Belfast, was told they had to fly to Scotland for a visa appointment.

Despite the bands problems before traveling to Spain, Two Door Cinema Clubs show last Friday went off without a hitch.

All the things we were worried about didnt materialize, said Baird, the bassist. The bands equipment, traveling in a truck from London, cleared customs on the British side in 25 minutes; checks at the border in France took only 10. The band, whose members flew to Barcelona, had no problems at the airport.

Once in, the group was so excited to be playing a show after months sitting at home during the coronavirus pandemic, they took selfies of every moment, Baird said.

The crowd was equally excited, said Marc Loan, 36, a fan who was in the audience. I made sure I didnt drink much, so I didnt have to miss anything, he added.

It was amazing, Baird said of the night.

Brexit was the last thing on his mind during the gig, Baird added, but it reared its head the next day when the band and crew headed to the airport to fly home. Members of the group with Irish passports, which everyone born in Northern Ireland can hold as well as a British one, breezed through passport control; those with British passports were stuck in line for only an hour.

The band was pleased with the trip but Baird was worried about how a more complicated schedule would work. Were all well aware this was a one-off concert, he said. What were apprehensive about is next year when were playing three different countries in three days. I expect that will be a lot harder.

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For U.K. Bands, Touring Europe Is Now a Highway to Brexit Hell - The New York Times