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Views on Net Zero Industry Act submitted by May will “feed into the legislative debate”
The European Commission is seeking feedback on its recent proposals for boosting the development and deployment of environmentally friendly technology in the EU, including the creation of specialised education providers and less stringent regulatory conditions for testing innovative products.
The Net Zero Industry Act, proposals for which were published by the Commission on 16 March, is designed to help the bloc meet its environmental sustainability objectives and improve the security of its energy supply with new funding and dedicated initiatives.
Some elements of the act could prove controversial, such as which technologies qualify for more support. According to media reports, France and Germany are currently clashing over whether nuclear technologies should be considered environmentally friendly, with the former in favour and the latter against.
At present, the list of “strategic net-zero technologies” supported by the act covers solar, wind, batteries, heat pumps and geothermal, electrolysers and fuel cells, biogas, carbon capture and grid technologies.
In a call for feedback on the act, launched on 20 March and open until 16 May, the Commission said: “All feedback received will be summarised by the European Commission and presented to the European Parliament and Council with the aim of feeding into the legislative debate.”