ZEP is supported by the European Union and receives funding from Horizon Europe (grant n°101075790)
The European Commission adopted on 8 March 2022 a Communication called ‘REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy’ to reduce its dependence on Russian energy imports, reinforce its energy autonomy and address rising energy prices.
In the midst of a geopolitical and energy crisis and ahead of the launch of the REPowerEU plan, ZEP reaffirms the need for all low- and zero-carbon technologies – a technology-neutral and long-term approach to climate action in energy and industry is crucial to avoid jeopardising an already extremely challenging path towards climate neutrality and preserve industrial activity and employment.
On 28 March 2022, ZEP set forth a proposal for a regulatory framework for CO2 transport infrastructure.
On 25 March 2022, ZEP responded to the stakeholder consultation on the certification of carbon removals. This will contribute to the European Commission's necessary and significant step towards integrating carbon removals into EU climate policies.
The European Commission received 138 project proposals after the Innovation Fund closed its second call for large-scale projects on 3 March 2022. A total of €1.5 billion is to be made available for projects supporting the European Green Deal. On 11 March, the Commission reported that the project submissions represented €12.1 billion in requested funding.
The European Union condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on 24 February 2022 and has adopted a package of economic sanctions. The EU is also seeking to reinforce its energy autonomy and address rising energy prices. Key elements are highlighted in this ZEP Briefing.
The European Commission has on 2 February 2022 approved the Complementary Climate Delegated Act of the EU Taxonomy (CDA), including nuclear power and natural gas as sustainable activities. The Council and European Parliament have four months to either approve or reject the legislation but may request an additional two months. Key elements are highlighted in this ZEP briefing.
The Commission adopted on 9 February 2022 the 2022 work programme of the European Innovation Council (EIC). Launched in 2021, the EIC helps startups, SMEs and research teams to develop high-risk, high-impact breakthrough innovation. It has a budget of over €10 billion for the 2021-2027 period. Key elements are highlighted in this ZEP briefing.
On 26 January 2022, EU countries have agreed to invest € 1.037 billion in 5 cross-border infrastructure projects under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). A final decision by the Commission on the CEF grants is expected before the end of February. The funding will go to a study on CO2 transport, 3 projects for
On 15 December, for the first time, the European Commission presented a Communication to support carbon dioxide removals. Key elements of the communication of relevance for CCS, CCU, and CO2 infrastructure are highlighted in this ZEP briefing.
