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Critical raw material act (CRMA) and sustainable supply chain
The “…proposal for a regulation of the European PArliament and of the Council establishing a framework for ensuring a secure and sustainable supply of critical raw materials and amending Regulations (EU) 168/2013, (EU) 2018/858, 2018/1724 and (EU) 2019/1020…” [COM(2023) 160 final] lists the next guidelines: Ensure a comprehensive approach with coordinated EU policies to provide regulatory certainty for investments; Coordination with EU social policies: support EU-wide capacity in terms of skills for extractive industries; Include other materials crucial for green tech/cleantech sectors and ensure consistency with other policies; Address unfair trade practices and restrictions; Prioritise critical and strategic raw materials in recycling and waste legislation and support the secondary raw…
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EU, efuels and excises: some reflections and proposal
On 21 march 2023 Reuters reported: “…The European Commission has drafted a plan to allow sales of new cars with internal combustion engines after 2035 if they run only on climate neutral e-fuels, as it tries to resolve a spat with Germany over moves to phase out combustion engine cars. The draft proposal, seen by Reuters on Tuesday, suggests creating a new type of vehicle category in the European Union for cars that can only run on carbon neutral fuels….”. By waiting for the final regulation, it is interesting to think how the promotion of e-fuels can works with tax (excises) incentives. We studied how the production of efules can…
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Over compensation and aid of State
The State of aid measure has to cover only the proved costs. The measure: should establish in advance in an objective and trasparent way the parameters; has to require a proper account separation for the costs; should consider the difficulty in making the correct calculation lies not only in identifying true costs but also in taking into account the reaction of beneficiaries. The aid of State should be released for the services and business which are not provided or satisfactorily provided by the market. Therefore, it is necessary to carry out a market survey or analysis to establish what the market fails to supply or offer at the required level…
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Guidelines on State aid, hydrogen, synthetic fuels and biofuels
The business relationships in the EU must be compliant with article 107 of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union which lays down that: “….any aid granted by a Member State…in any form whatsoever which distorts or threatens to distort competition by favouring certain undertakings or the production of certain goods shall, in so far as it affects trade between Member States, be incompatible with the internal market…” and again “…(b) aid to promote the execution of an important project of common European interest or to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy of a Member State; (c) aid to facilitate the development of certain economic activities or of…