According to news wire MTI, the official added that member states must prepare impact studies alongside those of the EU apparat if “realistic and achievable targets” are to be achieved.
Legally binding 2040 targets and the climate targets that each country sets under its own jurisdiction (NDCs) should be treated separately, Anikó Raisz, the state secretary for the environment at the energy ministry, said.
EU member states need more time to discuss the European Commission’s proposals to amend the European climate law, while the NDCs must be submitted by the end of September, she said.
“The two should not be mixed up,” she added, arguing that European industry’s competitiveness must be protected. Regarding the 2035 NDC target, Raisz said the decision should not be rushed. “If we lose European competitiveness, we won’t take the lead in global climate policy either,” she said.
Meanwhile, ministers will soon adopt an official position on the regulation on end-of-life vehicles, which was one of the top priorities of last year’s Hungarian EU presidency, she said, welcoming the “right balance” struck between ambitious environmental aims and competitiveness.
Water policy is also on the agenda of today’s meeting, she noted, adding that Hungary backed the commission’s strategy, noting that a water retention scheme has been launched in Hungary whereby landowners offer their land for water retention.
Asked whether the international carbon credit system contained in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement should be part of the EU’s 2040 climate targets, Raisz said more time was needed to discuss all the details.
If the commission submitted its proposal on July 2, “September would be unrealistic” for member states to form a final position on the matter, she added.
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