The 'Fit for 55' package is the cornerstone in achieving the EU's climate objective for 2030 and eventually achieving climate neutrality. At the environmental organization Rådet for Grøn Omstilling, the result of the vote in the environment committee is received with restrained optimism. 

"It is of course encouraging that the environment committee - with good support from the Danish EU parliamentarians - has reached agreement on a large number of improvements to the Commission's original proposal. But at the same time there are many missed chances to weed out problematic areas,” says Annika Lund Gade, agricultural and energy advisor at the Green Transition Denmark.

Strong boost to the regulation of land and forests

Regarding agriculture's climate action in the LULUCF sector, the environment committee has, among other things, agreed to increase the target for net absorption in the sector by at least 50 MtCO2 from carbon farming, that separate targets must be set for agricultural land use and then reject the Commission's proposal to include agricultural methane and nitrous oxide emissions in the LULUCF sector after 2030. 

"It is positive that an active position is being taken on the role of agriculture in the land use sector. At the same time, some of the possibilities for flexibility are limited. Absorption in forests and soil is crucial for climate action, but it should be kept separate from other sectors' emissions so as not to reduce the incentive for reductions,” says Annika Lund Gade.

The level of ambition in the burden-sharing agreement is disappointing

For the burden sharing agreement (ESR), the environmental committee proposes a more ambitious reduction path and limits flexibility within the sector, but leaves large loopholes according to Annika Lund Gade: 

"It is incredibly disappointing that the committee maintains loopholes such as the use of LULUCF and ETS credits to reduce efforts in the ESR sector, which can actually hamper the 2030 target. On the other hand, it is gratifying that separate targets are being introduced for methane and nitrous oxide emissions, which have a much greater harmful effect on the climate than CO₂. It is a new breakthrough in terms of specifying agricultural emissions in particular under the ESR.”

The environmental committee's compromise recommendations will be sent within a few weeks for a vote in the EU Parliament's plenary assembly, where adjustments can still be made.