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, focusing on energy and environment. Ex-Brussels correspondent

@FRANCE24

. Covering EU affairs. Views my own.

Brussels, Belgiumeuractiv.com/authors/Freder…Joined June 2015

2,425 Following

9,682 Followers

Frédéric Simon’s Tweets

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Jan 23

Biomass loophole exposed: The IEA's

@fbirol

has acknowledged “weaknesses” in how biomass is counted in energy statistics after several EU countries reported a sudden increase in residential wood burning to meet their 2020 renewable energy goals. By me.

Exposed: How EU countries use firewood to bloat their renewable energy stats

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has acknowledged “weaknesses” in how biomass energy is counted in national statistics after several EU countries reported a sudden increase in residential wood...

Europe experienced second-warmest winter on record, EU scientists say –

Europe experienced second-warmest winter on record, EU scientists say

Europe is emerging from its second-warmest winter on record, European Union scientists said on Wednesday (8 March), as climate change continues to intensify.

Denmark inaugurates world's first cross-border CO2 storage site. By

Denmark inaugurates world's first cross-border CO2 storage site

The opening marks an important moment for the EU's green transition and industrial competitiveness, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who spoke at the inauguration on...

Tug of war over ambition threatens EU energy efficiency law. By

Tug of war over ambition threatens EU energy efficiency law

A battle of wills over ambition in a new law to improve energy efficiency in Europe risks delaying an agreement on the bill ahead of another round of negotiations on Thursday (9 March).

'We like the IRA': European firms lured by simplicity of US green subsidies –

'We like the IRA': European firms eye simplicity of US green subsidies

Billions of dollars in clean energy incentives are poised to speed investment on American soil while putting the European Union's energy transition at risk by luring away money and talent, executives...

15h

French energy sector may bring government to heel amid pension strikes. By

@davidembasso

French energy sector may bring government to heel amid pension strikes

French energy and oil sector employees may be pivotal in pressuring the government to give up on its hotly-contested pensions reform plan, as they are pledge a "black week for energy" in protest of...

19h

Critical minerals: recycling 'not a silver bullet', industry says. A deep dive into the economics and politics of recycling precious metals contained in appliances like batteries and solar panels.⤵️

Critical minerals: recycling 'not a silver bullet', industry says

As the European Commission puts the finishing touches to its Critical Raw Materials Act ahead of publication next week, recyclers have issued a word of caution: Europe should not get its hopes too...

In this wekk's Green Brief: What to expect from the EU’s power market revamp. Spoiler: it's all about the long-term. My take⤵️

What to expect from the EU’s power market revamp

In politics, sometimes there are telltale signs of where things are headed. Such is now the case for the EU’s upcoming electricity market reform, writes Frédéric Simon.

Women more likely to fall into energy poverty, EU Parliament warns. By

@romano_vale_

Women more likely to fall into energy poverty, EU Parliament warns

Women have always been among those most affected by energy poverty, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the energy crisis have exacerbated inequalities and widened the gender divide, according to the...

French protest pensions reform in record numbers amid energy output threat. By

@Theo_BGonse

French protest pensions reform in record numbers amid energy output threat

The 'Buy European' clauses in the Net-Zero Industry Act. By

The 'Buy European' clauses in the Net-Zero Industry Act

According to a leaked draft proposal seen by EURACTIV, the European Commission's Net-Zero Industry Act may include measures to deter foreign clean tech products, similar to the domestic content...

Germany to build 17-21GW of new hydrogen-ready gas-fired power plants, says Chancellor

Jean-Michel Glachant

@JMGlachant

Mar 8

Germany to build ~20GW of new CCGTs: a doubling of existing park ‘’Facilities are expected to be used as back-up when there is not enough wind or solar power to meet demand’’ > which suggests kind of ‘’Capacity Market’ process & public auctioning

hydrogeninsight.com

Facilities are expected to be used as back-up when there is not enough wind or solar power to meet demand

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EURACTIV

LEAK: EU Commission wants 10% of critical raw materials mined in Europe: To boost EU autonomy, the European Commission is seeking to introduce targets of 10%-40% of the mining, recycling, and processing of critical raw materials used in the bloc to be…

LEAK: EU Commission wants 10% of critical raw materials mined in Europe

To boost EU autonomy, the European Commission is seeking to introduce targets of 10%-40% of the mining, recycling, and processing of critical raw materials used in the bloc to be done in the EU by...

Germany's FDP accused of 'blackmail' in EU combustion engine row. Parliament's environment committee chair

@pcanfin

annoyed at Germany's decision to backtrack on a deal that was previously agreed at ambassador level. Joint byline with

@Sean_G_Carroll

⤵️

Germany's FDP accused of 'blackmail' in EU combustion engine row

Germany’s last-minute decision to revoke its support for a law that would see the sale of new combustion engines banned from 2035 sets a dangerous precedent for European politics, according to the...

Leaked EU power market reform lists technologies eligible for support schemes: (a) wind energy (b) solar energy (c) geothermal energy (d) hydropower without reservoir (e) nuclear energy The French are going to loooove this.

256

La décarbonation, une bouffée d’oxygène pour l’industrie française

De ⁦

⁩ La France reste sur la voie de la réindustrialisation. Depuis 2017, elle construit chaque année plus d’usines qu’elle n’en ferme. «2022 enregistre un score très positif, avec 80 créations nettes.» Une réelle surprise.

lefigaro.fr

DÉCRYPTAGE - Malgré les conséquences de la guerre en Ukraine, le secteur a très bien résisté l’an passé.

János Allenbach-Ammann

Tell me if I‘m wrong, but this is basically the EU Commission saying „BUY EUROPEAN!!“ in its net-zero industry act, right?

Germany plans industrial electricity tariff to undercut US, China. By

Germany plans industrial electricity tariff to undercut US, China

Good video explainer by

on the risks posed by entering a green subsidy race: either the EU loses out to the US or it puts its single market at risk. The only win-win is to to pool resources at EU level. But that implies ceding more powers and budget to Brussels...

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János Allenbach-Ammann

So what is all this talk about state aid and the Inflation Reduction Act about? I tried to break it down in this explainer for @EURACTIV. youtu.be/0Lh-88c4we0

Now would be a good moment to replenish gas storages but they're already close to being full!

Quote Tweet

Lion Hirth

@LionHirth

TTF dips below 42 €/MWh!

Fatih Birol

@fbirol

Countries are racing to secure critical minerals for the clean energy economy. In

@Euractiv

today,

@pcanfin

and I outline why Europe needs a bold and broad strategy on critical mineral supply chains ⬇️

Why the EU needs bold and broad strategies for critical minerals

As the EU nurtures its clean energy manufacturing ambitions, the reliance on imports of critical materials remains a cause for concern in many Member States, write Fatih Birol and Pascal Canfin.

LEAK: Brussels targets 40% of clean tech manufacturing in Europe by 2030. By

. With link to full doc:🧐

LEAK: Brussels targets 40% of clean tech manufacturing in Europe by 2030

The European Commission is drafting a new target to have at least 40% of clean technologies manufactured in the EU by 2030 as part of a drive to meet climate goals and strengthen energy independence....

Why the EU needs bold and broad strategies for critical minerals. OPINION by

@fbirol

and

@pcanfin

Why the EU needs bold and broad strategies for critical minerals

As the EU nurtures its clean energy manufacturing ambitions, the reliance on imports of critical materials remains a cause for concern in many Member States, write Fatih Birol and Pascal Canfin.

From Europe to Africa and Asia: the journey of discarded textiles. By

@romano_vale_

From Europe to Africa and Asia: the journey of discarded textiles

European countries are struggling to handle ever-growing amounts of used textiles and clothing. Most of it ends up being exported to Africa and Asia, according to the European Environment Agency.

Plans to ban fossil fuel heaters spark outrage in Germany. By

Plans to ban fossil fuel heaters spark outrage in Germany

A draft law to ban the installation of new oil and gas heaters from next year has sparked outrage in Germany, adding fuel to continued government infighting in Berlin between the Greens and the...

Gniewomir Flis

@gnievchenko

Quite impressed witg the proposed 🇪🇺COM response to the IRA: 🎯 Local manufacturing targets for low carbon tech ⏩ Permitting & environmental fast track ⏳ Regulatory sandboxes for maturing tech 🏦 New blended finance facilities 🛒 Public procurement mandates

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Jakob Medick

@JakobMedick

First leaks of the EU Net Zero Industry Act are out. Here is what to expect for the official draft proposal on March 14th: #GreenDealIndustrialPlan #NZIA #IRA European manufacturing capacity shall be scaled up for the following technologies

(1/13)

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Mar 4

McDonald’s warns EU packaging law will cause plastic surge. By

@romano_vale_

McDonald’s warns EU packaging law will cause plastic surge

A shift from single-use recyclable packaging to reusables in the informal eating-out sector could have detrimental effects on the environment, the economy and food safety, according to a new study...

Anger at Germany as vote to finalise combustion engine ban is delayed. By

@Sean_G_Carroll

Anger at Germany as vote to finalise combustion engine ban is delayed

EU diplomats reacted with surprise and annoyance to Germany’s last-minute refusal to back a ban on the sale of new combustion engine cars by 2035, which has led to a postponement of the vote to...

Kira Taylor

What to watch in EU energy & environment policy in March (brace yourselves): - 6th: Renewable energy directive trilogue - 13-16th: Plenary, inc debate on buildings law (EPBD) - 14th: Critical raw materials act & net zero industry act - 16th: Electricity market design proposal

139

#EnergyTwitter: I'd be curious to hear your views. @ChSimonSU below believes the EU is merely copy/pasting Germany's Energiewende, saying this is "misguided". a) Do you agree this is the case? b) Is this a good or a bad thing? It's a genuine question. Thoughts below, pls.

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Christian Simon

@ChSimon__

La @UEFrance @EU_Commission se fourvoie à imposer une Energiewende à l’allemande en plus grand à tous les Européens. Alors que l’échec de l’Energiewende débutée il y a 20 ans est patent, on prétendrait faire la même chose en 7 ans à l’échelle du continent ?! 6/n

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Europe's crackdown on F-gases is a ploy to favour the EU's heat pump industry, critics say. More below by

.⤵️

Quote Tweet

Nikolaus J. Kurmayer

In which I am here to remind everybody that F-gases are a thing - untangling the mess of protectionist instincts and wanting to kick Russia to the curb euractiv.com/section/energy

Jonathan Packroff

@Jonpackroff

🚗🚗 COMBUSTION ENGINE VOTE POSTPONED: The vote on the CO2 standards for cars and vans was taken off the agenda of today's COREPER (permanent representatives') meeting and Tuesday's Council of Education Ministers, according to EU sources. New timeline is unclear.

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Théo Bourgery-Gonse

@Theo_BGonse

🇫🇷 lawmakers voted in favour of doing away with the 50% legal limit on nuclear in the country’s total energy mix ⚡️ on Thursday, to "conquer energetic sovereignty", PM

@Elisabeth_Borne

said. A symbolic move as the country revamps its nuclear ambitions ⤵️

French MPs pave way to dropping legal limit on nuclear in energy mix

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Alejandro Nuñez Jimenez

@anunezjimenez

Great news! France and Spain move ahead on a 400-km undersea cable that will nearly double their power exchange capacity from 2.8 to 5 GW, expected to go online by 2028 Estimated total cost is €2.85 bn: - EU €0.6 bn - ESP €1.2 bn - FRA €1.0 bn News

France, Spain announce breakthrough in undersea power link

France and Spain announced a breakthrough on Thursday (2 March) in a long-running impasse over what would be their first undersea electricity link, a move that will nearly double the power exchange...

Sean Goulding Carroll

@Sean_G_Carroll

The combustion engine ban has gone from virtual certainty to up in the air. EURACTIV looks at what happened and what the potential next steps could be.

Will efforts to ban the combustion engine fall at the final hurdle?

With the news that Germany may abstain from a vote on ending the production of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035, the fate of the long-negotiated law on CO2 standards for cars and vans is now...

Dear

, I never suggested that indigenous people should give up their rights. Please don't put words in my mouth that I didn't use.

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Ketan Joshi

@KetanJ0

I have to disagree with @FredSimonEU on this piece. Why is it Indigenous people who have to compromise, and accept violations of their rights? Why wouldn't you ask corporate developers to compromise, and find fairer and better ways to build? euractiv.com/section/energy

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Ember

@EmberClimate

“Without imposing a venting threshold on coking coal mines, the scope of the regulation to reduce EU coal mine #methane emissions is capped at 55%."

on Ember's latest report

EU too lax on methane venting from coal mines, campaigners say

EXCLUSIVE: Amendments to the EU’s draft methane regulation would allow coal mines to release additional greenhouse gases equivalent to the combined annual CO2 emissions of Belgium and Czechia,...

Mar 1

How Europe weighs the geopolitical risks of its energy supplies. By

@alex_owski

and

How Europe weighs the geopolitical risks of its energy supplies

Mar 1

The Green Brief: Fighting against windmills. Environmental activists need to set their priorities straight and get serious about green technologies, otherwise they risk pushing Europe – and the rest of the world – into a fossil fuel trap. My take:👇

The Green Brief: Fighting against windmills

Environmental activists need to set their priorities straight and get serious about green technologies, otherwise they risk pushing Europe – and the rest of the world – into a fossil fuel trap,...

Mar 1

Eleven EU countries launch alliance for nuclear power in Europe –