Interview conducted by Dan Cărbunaru and Robert Lupițu
Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan must allocate at least 37% of its funding to actions to combat climate change, and the European Commission hopes to “be able to approve it as soon as possible”, said Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European executive, in an exclusive interview for CaleaEuropeană.ro focused on the European Green Deal.
“With the European Green Deal, Europe is leading the way. If others follow our lead, the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees celsius. (…) The EU is a global leader in climate action but we know that a global effort is needed to tackle climate change and build more resilient, sustainable economies, and that is why we are working to mobilise the global effort”, she said, including in the context of the UN’s “Code Red for Humanity” report, which stresses that climate change is inevitable and irreversible and that human activity is affecting the climate in an unprecedented way.
The European Commission President said that Romania had made considerable progress between 1990 and 2019 in laying the foundations for a low-carbon economy, adding that our country would be able to use €67 billion from cohesion funds, recovery funds and the just transition fund to decarbonise the economy.
“Romanians deserve and want to live a healthier life, in a healthy environment, and to breathe cleaner air“, said Ursula von der Leyen, adding that she expects the Romanian authorities to take the necessary measures for waste management and air quality.
She also assured that the European Union is ready to help Romania to green its car fleet, describing the automotive industry as “an important one for Romania”.
She also announced that she would present proposals for decarbonising the natural gas market and acknowledged that the use of natural gas is “a cornerstone” for Romania.
“Gas is not a long-term solution to bring us closer to climate neutrality by 2050, but for Romania it can be a stepping stone, a transitional solution to move away from coal, because gas produces fewer emissions,” said Ursula von der Leyen, giving further assurances: “The Commission will stand by Romania in ensuring a fair transition for local communities, especially those in the Valea Jiului.”
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Shortly after you took office in 2019, the European Commission launched what you described to be “Europe’s man on the moon moment” – the European Green Deal. At the same time, the environment issue is at the top of EU citizens, including the next generation, concerns. How would you describe the progress the European Union has made in the last two years on fighting climate change?
Ursula von der Leyen: Europe has made extraordinary progress over the past two years. First, all 27 EU Member States and the European Parliament have democratically agreed on ambitious climate targets. They became legally binding, in our first-of-a-kind European Climate Law. And with the European Green Deal package that we presented in July, Europe is the first continent with a clear, comprehensive roadmap to reach its climate targets.
And a lot has changed in the past two years around the world, too. A year ago, we still had an American administration in office that hardly wanted to do anything for climate protection. And the Paris Agreement was under pressure. Now the USA is back by our side. In the past few months, many important industrialised countries have committed themselves to the goal of climate neutrality and have provided concrete dates for reaching it. Globally renowned companies have announced billions in investments in climate-friendly production and products.
This is all going in the right direction. But of course we must continue to push hard. We are encouraging all other countries, most of which have ambitious goals, to also come with a clear roadmap, on how to achieve them. That is the spirit in which we will approach the UN’s COP-26 climate conference in Glasgow this autumn.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: This summer, while the European Commission was adopting the “Fit for 55%” Package, Europe has been ravaged by unprecedented floods, mainly in Germany and Western Europe, but also in Romania. Will the European Commission help the countries affected by these natural disasters?
Ursula von der Leyen: These tragic events are indeed painful reminders that we simply cannot afford the rising costs of climate change. Extreme weather events are happening all over the globe, more and more often. The world can no longer allow the overexploitation of nature.
We are by the side of the countries affected by these catastrophes in the suffering. And we will be by their side in the reconstruction. We have provided support to the countries that needed it, through the EU’s Civil Protection Mechanism – by sending rescuers, or materials such as boats or planes, for instance. And we can also support with the EU Solidarity Fund, which can help fund the reconstruction.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: In your first SOTEU speech, you used the example of crops destroyed in Romania by the most severe drought in decades to sound the alarm on the climate issue. How would you appreciate the situation in Romania and the efforts of the authorities to reach climate neutrality?
Ursula von der Leyen: Romania has made considerable progress in laying the foundation of a low-carbon economy. Between 1990 and 2019, its greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 57%. But it still has a lot to do to reduce the emission intensity of its economy and bring it in line with our climate objectives.
I am confident that you can make it. And Europe will support you. The EU budget, including our recovery plan NextGeneration, the cohesion funds and the Just Transition Fund, will provide EUR 67 billion to Romania over the next years. This will allow for significant investments in the greening and the decarbonisation of the economy.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: The European Commission has announced in its June infringements package that Romania is targeted by four infringements procedures on environment, mainly on waste management. Last year, after an EU’s Court of Justice, the European Commission asked Romania to take the necessary measures to improve air quality in Bucharest. Are you satisfied with Romania’s actions and measures to tackle these issues?
Ursula von der Leyen: Romanian people deserve and want to live healthier lives, in a healthy environment, and to breathe cleaner air. Indeed, we have launched infringements to make sure Romania complies with our European rules in these important sectors, which have a direct impact on people’s quality of life and on their health. We are now expecting Romania to take the necessary measures, on waste as well as on air quality in Bucharest.
And we are talking here about serious matters. Air pollution causes 400,000 premature deaths in Europe every year. Such loss of life can be prevented. Let’s work on that together.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Another source of air pollution in Romania is the urban traffic combined with the fact that Romania has one of the largest market of imported second-hand vehicles. Is the European Commission ready to help Romania in finding proper solutions to this problem and how can Romania overturn its existing car park into a greener one?
Ursula von der Leyen: The EU is indeed ready to help Romania to green its car fleet. First, Romania will significantly benefit from the EUR 72 billion Social Climate Fund that we will put in place. The objective of the Fund is to support people with low incomes and to facilitate investments in clean technologies. It can support Romanian citizens to buy cleaner, electric cars, for example.
Overall, the EU budget will support the transition to a more climate-friendly, more sustainable economy in Europe with around EUR 500 billion over the next years. We will support the car industry – important for Romania – in the shift to zero-emission mobility. We will help European car manufacturers to lead the global market in clean vehicles.
NextGenerationEU also foresees massive investments in private and public charging points and in new filling stations for clean fuels. This investment is in all Member States’ national recovery plans. I am confident that Romania will manage the transition to cleaner cars – with EU support. This is very important for achieving our European Green Deal objectives. And, as we see from the problems with air quality, this is essential for people’s health.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: In the European Union there is also an ongoing debate about the use of nuclear energy in meeting the climate goals. The leaders of seven countries, including France and Romania, have asked the European Commission to consider ways of including nuclear energy to EU’s green policy. What is your take on this specific matter knowing also that Romania and the United States have reached an agreement to build new reactors in Cernavodă?
Ursula von der Leyen: The Member States decide themselves on their energy mix. The decision to operate or to shut down a nuclear power plant is up to them. Our priority at the Commission is to ensure that those Member States choosing to use nuclear energy apply the highest nuclear safety standards. They are enshrined in the Euratom legal framework and in particular in the revised Nuclear Safety Directive which governs the whole lifecycle of nuclear installation from design to end of decommissioning.
This is very important for the safety of our people and for our environment.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: In order to be put in place, the European Green Deal needs financing and this moves us to Next Generation EU, to the National Recovery and Resilience Plans and to the Just Transition Fund. In Romania’s case, the Prime Minister recently pointed out that 95% of NRRP is already negotiated. What can you emphasize about Romania’s NRRP, generally, and specifically when it comes to the green and environment guidelines?
Ursula von der Leyen: We have received Romania’s recovery plan on 31 May. We are now assessing it based on the clear criteria set out in the NextGenerationEU regulation. In particular, as regards green objectives, the plan needs to allocate a minimum of 37% of the funding to climate action and it needs to respect the environmental “do no significant harm” principle. The national recovery plan will be key for supporting Romania’s green transition. We are pleased with the very good cooperation with the Romanian authorities and I hope we will be able to approve the plan very soon, so that NextGenerationEU funds can start flowing to Romania.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Leave no one behind and each country’s right to identify its own energetic mix – these two principles are very important for Romania, especially with the intention to use natural gas as an energy transition and to help the regional coal industry in the Jiu Valley. What is the European Commission position on these Romanian priorities?
Ursula von der Leyen: As I said, each EU country is free to choose its own energy mix. But we are all bound by common climate and energy transition targets, which must be reflected in energy mixes in each EU Member State.
Gas is not a long-term solution to get us to climate neutrality by 2050, but for Romania it can be a stepping stone, a transitional solution to move away from coal, as gas produces less emissions. Later this year, we will present proposals for the decarbonisation of the gas market.
The EU is supporting a fair industrial transformation for all. This is at the heart of the European Green Deal.
So the Commission will be at Romania’s side to ensure a just transition for local communities, especially in the Jiu Valley. We are working with the regional authorities and provide funding under the EU’s Just Transition Mechanism. This comes on top of support already provided via Cohesion Policy and our Modernisation Fund. I am confident that Romania can achieve a timely and socially fair transition away from coal.
CaleaEuropeană.ro: Moving to the global arena, the European Union has put itself in the avant-garde of fighting climate change, setting an example. But when it comes to global carbon footprint, there is only one EU country in the top 10 worldwide: Germany. Therefore, while following its path to reach climate neutrality, what can the European Union do to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to global trade and imports?
Ursula von der Leyen: First, I believe that the rest of the world is also waking up to the facts: the cost of not acting against global warming is rising dramatically everywhere. We have recently seen heavy rain and flooding in China, but also deadly temperatures in Canada and melting permafrost in Siberia, to name a few examples. So the fight against climate change is a truly global effort.
With the European Green Deal, Europe is leading the way. If others follow our lead, the world will be able to keep warming below 1.5 degrees celsius.
And to encourage the rest of the world to set a price on carbon and to invest in climate-friendly production, we proposed a carbon border adjustment mechanism. Carbon must have a price everywhere. Europe’s industry and businesses are now investing heavily in climate-friendly technologies. It would not be fair if companies from third countries undermine these efforts by flooding our EU internal market with cheap but carbon-intensive products. Companies should pay a price for the carbon they bring to Europe. However, when producers from outside the EU come to our market with clean products, they won’t have to pay anything.
Finally, the reality – and the strength of the EU – is that we are the world’s biggest single market. Of course we have to stay competitive. And the good news is, our industry is moving forward. European enterprises are already driving the green transition. They are developing clean new technologies and products. And in doing so they create sustainable, local and well-paid jobs across Europe. Romania for instance can play a big role in the zero-emmission car sector.
The transition brings tremendous opportunities for our industry to establish markets for sustainable, clean products, worldwide. They have understood that the European Green Deal is their chance to get ahead of their global competitors, and get ‘first-mover’ advantage. Because the quicker we move, the bigger the demand will be across the world for pioneering technologies created in Europe.
The EU is a global leader in climate action but we know that a global effort is needed to tackle climate change and build more resilient, sustainable economies, and that is why we are working to mobilise the global effort.
