Dokumentai - Think Tank - Europos Parlamentas

Briefing - Powering the EU's future: Strengthening the battery industry - 24-01-2025

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 07:59:02 GMT

Batteries, widely used in the transport and energy sectors, are central to the global energy system. They will be key to the EU's clean energy transition, industrial future and strategic autonomy. Boosting the industrial base for battery production is therefore a key task for the EU. While the EU battery sector enjoys strong support for its research and development activities, it also faces significant challenges such as dependencies on third countries and high energy and labour costs. Developing battery recycling or implementing more sustainable value chains could help address some of these challenges. However, significant threats, such as competition from countries with lower environmental standards, may hinder progress and require strategic action. Projections around battery manufacturing in the EU remain highly uncertain. Many reports claim that the EU is on track to meet its future battery needs, yet also highlight significant risks that could prevent this from happening. Factors such as rising energy and labour costs, incentives offered by third countries, slower-than-expected market developments, or difficult access to critical raw materials, could undermine the sector's competitiveness. Mastering the complexities of battery manufacturing technologies remains another major challenge. Delays or cancellations of gigafactory projects have already been announced across Europe. The recent collapse of Northvolt, once hailed as Europe's flagship home-grown battery manufacturer, has raised serious concerns about the future of batteries 'made in Europe'. The EU has long recognised batteries as one of its strategic technological sectors. To make its battery supply chains secure, resilient and sustainable, the EU uses three approaches. First, it seeks to inject strategic impetus into the sector, using its convening power to improve cooperation among stakeholders. Second, it is working on a comprehensive regulatory framework. Third, it provides the sector with funding. The development of the battery sector provides an instructive case study for shaping an effective EU industrial policy.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2025 - EP

Glaustai - Transport and Tourism Committee in 2019-2024: Summary of key achievements - 14-10-2024

Sun, 13 Oct 2024 22:00:00 GMT

�Ϸ��վ's Transport and Tourism Committee (TRAN) worked on a number of legislative packages and proposals tabled by the European Commission during the 2019-2024 legislative term, including several proposals for legislative acts that were not concluded during the term. This paper gives a short overview of the key legislative files dealt with in TRAN over the past five years.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2024 - EP

Glaustai - Will the EU help build a cobalt refinery in the Democratic Republic of the Congo? - 03-06-2024

Sun, 02 Jun 2024 22:00:00 GMT

Most of the world's cobalt, a strategic raw material for the EU, is mined in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is then shipped to China for processing before being used, for instance, in batteries and electric vehicles (EVs). This creates inefficiencies, extra emissions and, above all, crucial critical raw material and green sector dependencies on China. The DRC wants to move up the battery supply chain. A 2021 Bloomberg study shows that building a Congolese processing plant to produce lithium-ion battery precursors would be vastly cheaper than constructing one in the US, China or Europe. A Global Gateway partnership framework with the DRC is in place to help develop its critical raw material value chains. Could EU partners reduce critical raw material and green transition dependencies on China by building a Global Gateway cobalt processing plant in the DRC?

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2024 - EP

Glaustai - EU – UK rules of origin for electric vehicles and batteries - 07-02-2024

Tue, 06 Feb 2024 23:00:00 GMT

The EU and the UK are key automotive trading partners. After the UK left the EU, the two parties concluded a Trade and Cooperation Agreement, committing them among other things to a progressive increase in the EU and UK content in the electric vehicles (EVs) and EV batteries they trade, to avoid tariffs. As the European EV batteries sector is not sufficiently developed, the parties have agreed to extend the current rules until 2027.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2024 - EP

Briefing - Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure: Fit for 55 package - 07-12-2023

Wed, 06 Dec 2023 23:00:00 GMT

On 14 July 2021, the European Commission presented the 'fit for 55' package of proposals to help reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The package included a proposal to revise the 2014 Directive on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure and turn it into a regulation. In the draft regulation, the Commission proposed binding targets for electric vehicle charging points and hydrogen refuelling points, electric charging for stationary aircraft at airports and on-shore power supply for ships at ports. Interinstitutional negotiations started in November 2022 and a provisional agreement was reached on 28 March 2023. �Ϸ��վ adopted the new rules in plenary on 11 July. The Council adopted them on 25 July. The final act was signed on 13 September and published in the Official Journal of the EU on 22 September 2023. Fifth edition. The 'EU Legislation in Progress' briefings are updated at key stages throughout the legislative procedure.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Briefing - State of the Union [What Think Tanks are thinking] - 12-10-2023

Wed, 11 Oct 2023 22:00:00 GMT

In her annual State of the Union speech to the European �Ϸ��վ on 13 September, the European Commission’s President, Ursula von der Leyen announced an anti-subsidy probe into Chinese electric vehicles, steps to be taken to help Europe's wind industry as well as measures to make business easier for small companies and to address the problem of labour shortages. Von der Leyen presented her Commission as a promoter of European business and green policies, as she set out its track-record ahead of elections to the European �Ϸ��վ next year. 'In a world of uncertainty, Europe once again must answer the call of history', she said about a wide range of policies, notably the EU's support for Ukraine, green energy development and defence of business against unfair competition. The Commission’s investigation could lead to countervailing duties to protect EU producers against cheaper Chinese electric vehicle imports if they are deemed to benefit from excessive state subsidies. Von der Leyen reiterated the EU’s unwavering support for Ukraine in its struggle against Russia’s military aggression, and the possibility of the country’s EU accession one day. This note offers links to recent commentaries and reports from international think tanks on the State of the Union and related issues. Topical papers on the war on Ukraine can be found in a recent edition of What Think Tanks are Thinking.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Glaustai - Alternative fuels infrastructure - 05-07-2023

Wed, 05 Jul 2023 08:30:54 GMT

In July 2021, the European Commission presented the 'fit for 55' package – a set of proposals to make the EU's climate, energy, land-use, transport and taxation policies fit to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 55 % by 2030. The package includes a proposal to revise rules on deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. Following a provisional agreement between negotiators of the European �Ϸ��վ and the Council, �Ϸ��վ is due to vote on the agreed text during its July plenary session.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Briefing - Green transition [What Think Tanks are thinking] - 17-05-2023

Tue, 16 May 2023 22:00:00 GMT

The United States, China and the European Union are making more and more funds available for the green economic transition and efforts to fight climate change. Increased government spending on green technologies also serves the goal of establishing or expanding industries that have emerged as strategic at a time of global warming, as well as providing quality jobs. This subsidy race is strongly affected by the technological rivalry between China and the US. However, the race in governments’ support to develop or strengthen sectors such as batteries, electronic vehicles, solar panels, wind turbines and many others, may not be the best solution for decarbonising the economy, some think-tank analysts say. It risks a downward race among governments, and suboptimal allocation of resources. This note offers links to recent reports and commentaries from some major international think tanks and research institutes on the green transition. Analyses on EU clean tech and industrial policies can be found a previous edition of What think tanks are thinking.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Glaustai - Research for TRAN Committee - Assessment of the potential of sustainable fuels in transport - 01-04-2023

Mon, 24 Apr 2023 22:00:00 GMT

This At a glance note sumarises the study providing the European �Ϸ��վ’s Committee on Transport and Tourism (TRAN) with an assessment of the potential of sustainable fuels to decarbonise the transport sector, and help the sector achieve the 2050 decarbonisation goals. It assesses their potential for use in maritime, aviation and road transport, considering their technology readiness, feedstock availability, sustainability of supply, resource and energy efficiency, and the most appropriate match-making between fuels and applications.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Tyrimas - Research for TRAN committee: Environmental challenges through the life cycle of battery electric vehicles - 27-03-2023

Sun, 26 Mar 2023 22:00:00 GMT

This study provides an up-to-date expert assessment and comparison between the life cycle’s carbon footprint of BEV and ICEV passenger cars. It presents evidence from the literature and from LCA modelling and concludes with policy recommendations. The analysis includes sensitivities, regional variations for six Member States, and also the effects of technical and legislative development on the potential outlook up to 2050.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Glaustai - Research for TRAN Committee - Environmental challenges through the life cycle of battery electric vehicles - 01-03-2023

Sun, 02 Apr 2023 22:00:00 GMT

This At a glance note summarises the study providing an up-to-date expert assessment and comparison between the life cycle’s carbon footprint of battery electric and internal combustion engine passenger cars. It presents evidence from the literature and from life cycle assessment modelling and concludes with policy recommendations. The analysis includes sensitivities, regional variations for six Member States, and also the effects of technical and legislative development on the potential outlook up to 2050.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2023 - EP

Briefing - 'Fit for 55' legislative package: Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure - 28-01-2022

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 14:26:27 GMT

The present IA supports the proposal for a Regulation on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. It seems quite robust especially in the connection between problem analysis, specific objectives, and measures proposed, and in the quantitative analysis. Still it is complex and not fully accessible to a non-expert reader and it lacks clarity and exhaustive explanations in some points.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2022 - EP

Glaustai - Research for TRAN Committee - Alternative fuels infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles - final study - 24-11-2021

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 23:00:00 GMT

This At a glance note summarises the study on Alternative fuels infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2021 - EP

Tyrimas - The Future of the EU Automotive Sector - 30-09-2021

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 22:00:00 GMT

This study provides an independent overview of the automotive industrial landscape in the EU. Specifically, the study assesses green and digital trends currently reshaping the automotive sector and provides recommendations considering the adequacy and consistency of ongoing and future EU actions. This document was provided by the Policy Department for Economic, Scientific and Quality of Life Policies at the request of the committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2021 - EP

Glaustai - Research for TRAN Committee - Alternative fuels infrastructure for heavy-duty vehicles - 28-09-2021

Mon, 27 Sep 2021 22:00:00 GMT

This briefing presents the opportunities and challenges for use and deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure in the EU for heavy-duty vehicles, in particular for trucks. Details on the current state of play and future needs are presented in the context of the ambitions of the Green Deal and current legislative developments, in particular the upcoming reviews of the Alternative Fuels Directive and TEN-T regulation.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2021 - EP

Briefing - Electric road vehicles in the European Union: Trends, impacts and policies - 03-04-2019

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 15:22:32 GMT

Technological advances and societal changes have triggered a drastic evolution in mobility. Alongside other trends, such as digitalisation, autonomous driving and shared mobility, electric mobility is also gaining momentum. Electric mobility could help the EU to achieve its goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, noise and dependence on oil. However, the extent of this help will depend on a number of factors, such as the share of electric vehicles in the overall vehicle fleet and how environmentally friendly electric vehicles can remain throughout their life cycle. Global sales of new electric road vehicles have been growing significantly in recent years, largely driven by the mass expansion of this mode of transport in China. Despite its rapid growth, the EU market for such vehicles is still small, and largely dependent on support policies. Most electric road vehicles are concentrated in a few northern and western Member States, although southern and eastern ones have recently recorded the biggest sales growth. Over the years, the EU has taken various actions to support electric mobility. For instance, EU-level measures have been encouraging the use of renewable electricity and smart charging; helping to develop and standardise charging infrastructure; and supporting research on batteries. Local, regional and national-level incentives (such as the introduction of lower taxes or the provision of free public parking for electric vehicles) are also promoting electric mobility. Countries that offer generous incentives and good charging infrastructure typically have a bigger market share for electric road vehicles.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2019 - EP

Išsami analizė - Ten issues to watch in 2019 - 08-01-2019

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 10:50:28 GMT

This is the third edition of an annual EPRS publication designed to identify and frame some of the key issues and policy areas that are likely to feature prominently on the political agenda of the European Union over the coming year. The topics analysed are the outlook for a new European �Ϸ��վ and new European Commission, the way forward for the soon-to-be EU-27, the future financing of the Union, the process of digital transformation, artificial intelligence and collective intelligence, internal security, trade wars, Africa, electric mobility, and the oceans.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2019 - EP

Briefing - Global and regional trends [What Think Tanks are thinking] - 30-11-2018

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 13:59:50 GMT

The European Union’s key institutions held a joint conference on 28-29 November entitled ‘Global trends to 2030: Shaping the future in a fast-changing world’. The annual event was organised under the auspices of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS), which is a framework for cooperation between the administrations of the European �Ϸ��վ, the European Commission, Council of the European Union, European External Action Service and other bodies to work together on medium- and long-term trends facing or relating to the European Union. This note brings together commentaries, analyses and studies by major international think tanks and research institutes on longer term trends – global and regional, with a focus on Europe. Some reports listed here were presented at the conference, some others can be found in the ESPAS repository of strategic studies, named Orbis.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Tyrimas - Research for TRAN Committee - Charging infrastructure for electric road vehicles - 20-06-2018

Tue, 19 Jun 2018 22:00:00 GMT

This study analyses the various challenges of the deployment of charging infrastructure within the EU. This includes existing technologies and standardisation issues, metering systems and pricing schemes, business and financing models, the impact of the charging infrastructure on the dissemination of Plug-in Electric Vehicles (PEVs), and the appropriateness of current technologies, business models, and public policies.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Tyrimas - Post 2020 CO2 Emission Targets for Cars and Vans - The Right Level of Ambition? - 16-04-2018

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 22:00:00 GMT

This report summarises the presentations and discussions of the workshop on “Post 2020 CO2 Emission Targets for Cars and Vans: The Right Level of Ambition?”, which was held on 27th March 2018. The presentations highlighted the role of light duty vehicles in achieving emissions reductions, the proposed post-2020 targets and the increase in their efficiency, as well as the way forward for electric vehicles and the possible steps for further improvement. The workshop and this report have been commissioned by Policy Department A at the request of the Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) at the European �Ϸ��վ.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Glaustai - Action plan on alternative fuels infrastructure - 06-03-2018

Tue, 06 Mar 2018 14:57:11 GMT

On 8 November 2017, the European Commission adopted the clean mobility package, including legislative proposals to help accelerate the transition to low and zero emission vehicles, together with a communication on an action plan with investment solutions for the trans-European deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure. The Commission will present its action plan to the European �Ϸ��վ during the March plenary session.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Tyrimas - New ways of financing transport infrastructure projects in Europe - 01-03-2018

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 13:12:28 GMT

This study assesses a range of mechanisms to finance transport infrastructure projects in cross-border regions, and analyses the strategic role that European Groupings of Territorial Cohesion (EGTC) could play in the planning and implementation of cross-border investments. Special attention is given to often neglected small-scale projects, whose investment is up to €1 million. Building on an in-depth literature review, and supported by interviews with various regional cooperation structures and an experts’ workshop, the study analyses the current situation regarding the availability of financing tools for new technologies that enhance transport infrastructure in cross-border regions. It also outlines sources of financial support that could meet investment needs and assesses technological challenges and trends in the field of Intelligent Transport Systems, with a focus on regional interoperability. The study ends with suggestions of policy options to facilitate and accelerate cross border transport infrastructure projects.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Tyrimas - Research for TRAN Committee - Battery-powered electric vehicles: market development and lifecycle emissions - 15-02-2018

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 23:00:00 GMT

As 2018 gets under way, there are probably more than three million electric cars in circulation in the world. There are also more than six hundred million electric bikes, scooters and motorcycles. Plus a few hundred thousand electric buses and other types of quadricycles having an electric motor. The first part of this paper traces the fast evolving market of electric road vehicles. The second part shows that the production of hundreds of millions of battery packs requires a lot of energy and plenty of scarce resources, which affects the real impact of electric vehicles on the climate and the environment and make it necessary to consider the recovery and recycling of used batteries.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2018 - EP

Tyrimas - The Potential of Electricity Demand Response - 15-09-2017

Mon, 18 Sep 2017 22:00:00 GMT

This report summarises the presentations and discussions made during a workshop on ‘The Potential of Electricity Demand Response’ organised on 30 May 2017 by Policy Department A for the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The aim of the workshop was to highlight the role and potential of electricity demand response in achieving the EU energy and climate policy targets, to illustrate the current experiences and progress towards deployment of demand response across the EU and to identify and evaluate possible legislative and regulatory initiatives to optimally deploy the potential. The presentations and proceedings of this workshop should support the ITRE members in their evaluation of the related legislative proposals in the “Clean Energy for All Europeans package”.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2017 - EP

Išsami analizė - Ten more technologies which could change our lives - 14-07-2017

Fri, 14 Jul 2017 15:43:47 GMT

In 2015, the European �Ϸ��վ's Directorate-General for �Ϸ��վary Research Services (DG EPRS) broke new ground with its publication 'Ten technologies which could change our lives – potential impacts and policy implications', with each chapter highlighting a particular technology, its promises and potential negative consequences, and the role that the European �Ϸ��վ could and should play in shaping these developments. This new study continues this work, presenting ten additional technologies that will increasingly require the attention of policy-makers. The topics for the current study have been chosen to reflect the wide range of topics that the �Ϸ��վ's Science and Technology Options Assessment (STOA) Panel has decided to focus upon for the eighth parliamentary term (2014-2019). The aim of the publication is not only to draw attention to these ten particular technologies, but also to promote further reflection about other technological developments that may still be at an early stage but that could, in a similar way, massively impact our lives in the short- or longer-term future.

Šaltinis : © Europos Sąjunga, 2017 - EP