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Highlights - Vote on Opinion on acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness projects - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
On 3 December, ENVI Members will vote the opinion on the Commission proposal on the acceleration of permit-granting for defence readiness project, which was adopted on 17 June 2025 as part of the Defence Readiness Omnibus.The proposal aims at strengthening the EU-wide market for defence products and promoting a more integrated and competitive defence industrial base. It also introduces harmonised rules for facilitating and streamlining the permit-granting process for defence-readiness projects. For this reason, ENVI has been authorised to draw an Opinion on the proposal. On 23 September, ENVI coordinators decided to use the simplified procedure as set out in Rule 52.2 of the Rules of Procedure. 121 amendments were tabled, and following technical negotiations, 4 compromise amendments are put to vote. The compromise amendments clarify the duration and the content of the permit-granting process to ensure that the quality of the environmental assessment (when applicable) is not undermined.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP -
Highlights - Public hearing on Autonomous driving - Committee on Transport and Tourism
The Public hearing gathered experts from the industry, academics, and policy managers.The hearing explored the current state and prospects of autonomous driving in Europe from technological, safety, and political perspectives. It took place on 2 December, from 14:30-16:30 in the SPAAK building (room 1A2).
Programme - Public Hearing on Autonomous Driving
Poster
Hearings - TRAN
Presentations
Presentation Georges Massing - Vice President for Automated Driving at Mercedes-Benz
Presentation Xavier Tackoen - Managing Director at Espaces-Mobilités
Presentation Professor Barry Alan Brown - Professor of Computer Science at the University of Copenhagen
Presentation Dr. Oihana Otaegui - Director of Transport & Security Division at Vicomtech
Presentation Frank Mütze - Policy and Project Manager at the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC)
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP -
Highlights - Joint vote with TRAN on accounting of GHG emissions from transport services - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
On 3 December, ENVI and TRAN Members will vote to confirm a provisional agreement reached with the Council on the Regulation establishing a single EU methodology for calculating greenhouse gas emissions of transport services (‘CountEmissionsEU’). The system remains voluntary under the Regulation, but operators must apply the same methodology when reporting emissions to ensure transparent and comparable results across the internal market. The provisional agreement was reached on 5 November 2025.Parliament's mandate from 10 April 2024 strengthened the Commission proposal by calling for a future life-cycle emissions methodology, targeted support for SMEs (including a free public calculation tool and access to the standard), the inclusion of data intermediaries, and a strong preference for primary data. The provisional agreement reflects these priorities: it confirms the reference methodology; introduces a free, simplified EU calculation tool for transport operators that is also designed to support SMEs; establishes a hierarchy favouring primary data while allowing secondary data where needed; and requires the Commission to assess integrating life-cycle emissions in a future revision. A phased application timeline and a balanced package on empowerments were also agreed, while Parliament's amendments on penalties could not be retained. The text was informally approved by Coreper on 26 November.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP -
Highlights - Exchange of views on classifying ethanol as a carcinogen and reproductive toxicant - Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
On 3 December, ENVI Members will exchange views on the potential classification of ethanol as a carcinogen and reproductive toxicant, following a coordinators decision of 24 November. Members will question the Commission on the Human Health Toxicology Working Group’s conclusion that ethanol may be considered carcinogenic and toxic to reproduction in the context of its assessment as an active substance under the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR).Ethanol is widely used in biocidal products - notably hand and surface disinfectants - and its safety and efficacy are being reviewed under the BPR review programme for active substances present on the market in 2000. The Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) is expected to adopt its opinion in the first half of 2026. The Commission will then take the final decision on approval of ethanol as a biocidal active substance. If the BPC confirms carcinogenic and reprotoxic properties, the evaluating Member State (Greece) is expected to submit a CLP classification proposal, which could lead to a harmonised classification. Members will seek clarity on implications of such a classification for the use of ethanol as an active substance in biocidal products and for other applications e.g. in household products, cosmetics and industrial products.
Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP -
Newsletters - HOUS NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2025 - Special committee on the Housing Crisis in the European Union