12 Sept. 2021. The European Climate Law, which entered into force in July, transposes into binding law the EU's commitment to climate neutrality by 2050. Different paper associations have expressed concerns about the measures to be taken to achieve this goal.

In mid-July, the European Commission presented its Fit for 55 package of measures which underpin its ambitious goals contained in the Green Deal. With numerous Directives and Regulations, the EU wants to design its policy in the areas of climate, energy, land use, transportation and taxes in such a way that net greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by at least 55 per cent compared to 1990 levels by the year 2030.

The European pulp and paper industry, represented by the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI) and national associations, fundamentally supports the EU's goal of achieving climate neutrality by the year 2050. But the industry has some reservations about the Fit for 55 package, which CEPI described as an "incomplete toolbox" that does consider all of the necessary aspects and therefore fails to address the biggest challenges of transforming European industries.

Implementing the Fit for 55 measures could significantly raise the cost of doing business for European companies, especially for energy-intensive industries. This, in turn, could put European companies at a disadvantage when competing with peers from non-EU countries.
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