The European Commission fast-tracked its European Green Deal to life eleven days into its mandate. That doesn’t mean there weren’t changes to the text, even at the last minute.
Days before its release, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen dialed up pledges for “just transition” funding, meant to help regions and sectors that are highly dependent on fossil fuels or carbon-intensive industries to clean up.
EU leaders will consider a suggestion that a new investment mechanism for decarbonization could be worth up to €100 billion, according to draft conclusions for Thursday’s summit obtained by POLITICO — compared with €35 billion in the initial Green Deal presentation.
Other changes were made behind closed doors.
POLITICO compared the published strategy agreed by commissioners to a near-final draft submitted to their cabinets, as well as to an earlier presentation.
Here are the points that proved contentious enough to alter. Scroll over the highlighted parts to read explanations.
Bjarke Smith-Meyer, Eline Schaart, Arthur Neslen, Barbara Moens, Kalina Oroschakoff and Paola Tamma contributed reporting.