Coal news and updates

The UK joined Poland and a small group of other EU countries lobbying to delay tougher pollution rules for coal power stations ahead of discussions in Brussels on Thursday.

In a letter seen by the FT, UK environment minister Thérèse Coffey warned the EU environment commissioner, Karmenu Vella, that the “uncertain global economic climate” means new pollution regulations should not impose “a disproportionate financial cost or technical burden on industry”.

 

Along with her counterparts from Poland, Greece, Finland and the Czech Republic, Ms Coffey believes more time should be given to a “comprehensive consideration” of the “significant” impact of new limits to be set under the EU’s main industry pollution law, the Industrial Emissions Directive.

 

The letter, written in September, suggested the commission set up a “technical working group” to do more assessment of the rules before EU countries decide on them in a vote due early next year.

 

Although the government said this should not create an “extensive delay”, environmental campaigners claim it is part of an continuing effort to delay or water down pollution limits that could save thousands of lives and should have been adopted two years ago.

 

Britain’s position is difficult to understand, especially since the previous Conservative government pledged to phase out coal power by 2025, said Anton Lazarus of the European Environmental Bureau campaign group.

 

“There is already a technical working group and the whole process has been going on for more than two years,” he said. “It seems they just want to totally limit the amount of hoops they might have to leap through.”

 

Representatives from EU countries, industry and non-government groups met in Brussels on Thursday to discuss their respective positions on the rules.