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Attac reports a huge success for European civil society: The EU Commission has made a 180-degree turn and is now officially forcing the EU states to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT). This was announced by a spokesman for the EU Commission yesterday afternoon Reuters news agency known. The news platform POLITICO had previously quoted from a corresponding internal EU document that was sent to the EU member states. (See press release of 7.2.)
Attac: Huge success for European civil society
The globalization-critical network Attac expressly welcomes the Commission's change of heart: “The Commission has finally accepted the political reality. The Energy Charter Treaty no longer finds approval among the EU states because it impedes climate protection measures and the urgently needed energy transition," explains Theresa Kofler from Attac Austria. "This pleasant change of heart is also a huge success for European civil society, which has been fighting against the treaty in many EU countries for years."
The prerequisite for a coordinated exit from the EU is a qualified majority among the EU states. This is within reach.* The Austrian government is also examining since last November the exit from the contract - but so far without a decision. “It is high time that Austria now joins those EU countries that have already withdrawn from the treaty. This is the only way we can get closer to a coordinated exit from the EU,” explains Kofler.
Contract jeopardizes the energy transition
The ECT is an agreement between 53 states including the EU. It allows fossil-fuel companies to sue states for damages before private tribunals for new climate protection laws that threaten their profits. Examples of this are corporate lawsuits against the coal phase-out in the Netherlands, against a ban on fracking in Slovenia or against the ban on an oil platform in Italy.
The treaty thus restricts the democratic scope for more climate protection and endangers the energy transition. For years, the EU had tried to reconcile the treaty with the Paris climate goals. However, this has not been successful. Therefore, there is no majority for the revised treaty at EU level.
- Italy, Poland, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Slovenia, Germany and Luxembourg have announced or completed their exit from the treaty. According to the information available to Attac, in addition to Austria, Belgium, Portugal, Ireland, Denmark, Greece, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Latvia are also ready to exit.
Photo / Video: Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash.
