EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gave him “a few details” at the meeting, said Van der Bellen on Tuesday in Brussels. “The difficulty will still be to negotiate exactly within the 27 member states who will concentrate on what. That will not be done tomorrow.”
It is clear that emissions must have a certain price, explained Van der Bellen on the legislative proposals that will be presented by the EU Commission on Wednesday in Brussels. There are several methods for the implementation, on the one hand taxes and certificates on the other.
The “Fit for 55” package aims to achieve the ambitious reduction in greenhouse gases by at least 55 percent below the 1990 level by 2030. According to initial information, this could include the end of the combustion engine, a sharp cut in CO2 certificates and higher prices for transport and buildings.
“Time’s running”
Austria is, however, defaulting on climate protection. According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), greenhouse gases hardly changed in this country between 1990 and 2018. Nevertheless, Van der Bellen was “relatively optimistic because I think everyone is aware that time is running out.”
In contrast to a few years ago, industry, business, banks and insurance companies “became aware of their own accord,” said the Federal President. This created “completely new pressure on politicians to dictate where the journey should go in the long term”. He also referred to the youthful climate protection movement “Fridays for Future”.
As part of his visit to Brussels, which was originally planned for 2020 but was postponed for pandemic reasons, Van der Bellen also met EU Council President Charles Michel, EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell, EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn and EU Parliament President David Sassoli. Tomorrow, Wednesday, the Federal President wants to discuss bilateral issues with King Philippe of Belgium.
Congratulations to Raisi defended
From the Dial also defended his congratulations to the new Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in front of journalists in Brussels. “We need to be able to talk to foreign heads of state, especially in the case of Iran,” he said. Austria has an interest in that the Iran nuclear deal “being renegotiated”.
There is a “residual hope” that it will be a “hardliner.” the Iranian domestic policy “maybe more likely to come to a settlement than with the” President (Hassan) Rouhani, whom I greatly appreciate, the but had too little domestic political backing to implement what he wanted, “explained From the Dial further. The congratulations had been agreed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Clear criticism of From the Bellens Congratulations after the The Greens had voiced their choice in Iran. “Despite the importance of bilateral relations: this unnecessary revaluation of the inhuman and criminal regime and its protagonists in Iran is rightly disconcerting for many,” said the foreign policy spokeswoman at the time the Grünen, Ewa Ernst-Dziedzic, the “Press” said. “For me, single-handed congratulations are difficult to understand.”
The The arch-conservative Raisi is extremely controversial because, as Iran’s head of justice, he is responsible for numerous death sentences. This earned him the nickname “Butcher of Tehran” among critics. Congratulations to newly elected office colleagues are part of it the diplomatic customs and also common among countries and politicians who otherwise have little in common.
