Social climate fund will ensure the climate and energy transition leaves no one behind

The European Democrats welcome the inter-institutional agreement on establishing a Social Climate Fund, one of the centrepieces of the Fit for 55 package. The Fund will amount to 86.7 billion and will run for five years from 2027 onwards, with the possibility of one-year frontloading. It will provide funding to Member States in order to support the most vulnerable households, transport users and micro-enterprises faced with higher energy and transport costs expected to result from the extension of the Emission Trading System (ETS)  to two new sectors, namely that of buildings and road transport. Concrete measures such as direct income support or long-term investments to reduce reliance on fossil fuels through increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, decarbonisation of heating and cooling of buildings, or providing better access to zero and low-emission mobility will be covered by this Fund.

During the negotiations, Our European Parliament group Renew Europe advocated for an ambitious and efficient Fund targeted to those who need it most, ensuring that vulnerable citizens can benefit from direct payments from the Fund as long as they can also benefit from long-term investments, thus helping to reduce energy and transport poverty. Likewise, our group pushed for securing that the disbursement of the EU money is linked to robust policy frameworks at the national level, including the proper implementation of the new Emission Trading System, and to a strong and transparent monitoring system at the EU level.

French MEP Marie-Pierre Vedrenne (Mouvement Démocrate), Renew Europe shadow rapporteur on the Social Climate Fund on behalf of the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs (EMPL), declared: “The agreement reached on the Social Climate Fund and the reform of the carbon market is historic. The European Union has been able to adapt the instruments at its disposal to achieve its climate ambition, while responding to the needs of its citizens who are affected by energy and transport poverty. Europe is keeping its promise: the climate transition will be fair, social and will leave no one behind!”.

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Marie-Pierre<br>Vedrenne
Marie-Pierre
Vedrenne
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France
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PDE seminar in Paris: reforms, global challenges, and support for François Bayrou

EDP MEPs in Paris with Gozi, Bayrou and Barrot: priorities for Strasbourg, governance reform, the cost of living, ecological transition and Europe’s global roleThe initiative follows Vučić’s letter sent to Brussels on 21 August, in which he accused Serbian students and demonstrators of violence, reversing the truth and blaming the victims of repression.
In his statement, Gozi denounces the hundreds of arrests of students and peaceful citizens, the use of a sonic cannon (LRAD) during the March protest in Novi Sad, the shocking video of students forced to their knees and filmed by police, the violent arrests of women and even minors, and the attack on press freedom with intimidation against N1, documented by OCCRP/KRIK.
Gozi stresses that it is not citizens who endanger Serbia’s European path, but President Vučić and his government. By resorting to repression, false narratives and attacks on fundamental freedoms, they are undermining the credibility and the European future of the country.

Open Letter

To the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić
with a copy to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen

President Vučić,
Your letter of 21 August addressed to President von der Leyen is a masterpiece of hypocrisy. But facts, numbers and images tell another story.
In recent months, hundreds of people have been arrested in Serbia, including students and peaceful citizens. Many of them remain in prison today, facing charges that are essentially political. In practice, this undermines their freedom of expression and discourages democratic participation. It is not the citizens who are destabilising the country: it is your government, repressing the right to protest.
In March, during a commemoration in Novi Sad, a sonic cannon (LRAD) was used against demonstrators, A weapon, capable of provoking harsh pain, panic and permanent hearing damage. A practice that has nothing to do with the european standards you claim to embrace.
On 15 August, a video showed fifteen young people forced to their knees against a wall, filmed by police officers. An act of public humiliation, in total contempt for human dignity and contrary to every democratic standard.
And this was not an isolated case: in those same days, other footage and testimonies clearly showed worrying heavy-handed arrests, with students dragged to the ground, women and even minors treated without regard for their rights.
While students are beaten and arrested, citizens have witnessed violent groups apparently close to your party moving about undisturbed.
This selective tolerance raises serious concerns of rule of law.
Equally serious is the attack on freedom of information. N1, a news channel belonging to United Media (United Group), has been the target of a campaign of intimidation and pressure documented in recordings published by OCCRP/KRIK. You know perfectly well that silencing the last independent broadcaster means suffocating truth and pluralism.
President Vučić, it is not the youth, it is not the citizens, it is not the demonstrators who are jeopardising the European path of Serbia: Serbia belongs to Europe. But it is you — with your policies, your denyal your statements — which are undermining the credibility and the european path of your country.
Your accusations against Nikolina Sindjelić are embarrassing . The evidence shows that threats, unlawful arrests and violence have indeed taken place: personal attacks do not erase reality.
Your letter must therefore be sent back to the sender.
Serbian citizens deserve much better and Europe is something else: freedom, dignity, democracy.

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Website of the European Democrats - https://democrats.eu

EDP takes centre stage at Renew Europe summit in Brussels

The European Democratic Party co-organised and played a central role in the summit that brought together heads of state and party leaders from our democratic, liberal and centrist family at the Maison de la Poste in Brussels on 26 June. Sandro Gozi, Secretary General of the EDP, led the delegation of democrats and contributed to the adoption of the joint declaration “Freedom on the offensive”, a clear and courageous response to the populist wave and the threats to democracy in Europe.

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