La European taxonomy. Behind this name, which has enough aridity to arouse vague disinterest, hides a crucial tool for our future, at the heart of a real saga whose outcome is scheduled for July 6 in Strasbourg during a vote which will be held against the backdrop of the topical atrocities of the war in Ukraine.
Originally, the European taxonomy is a tool which aims to accelerate the energy transition by validating a list of activities deemed suitable for dealing with the climate emergency while protecting the environment and the population. It constitutes a sort of catalog for private funders who wish to invest their money in the service of the general interest. But this tool, for the moment virtuous and necessary for the energy transition, is about to be misused.
The taxonomy could in particular reinforce the energy dependence of the European Union (EU) on Russia and bring billions to the regime of Vladimir Putin. The first intense discussions at European level on the taxonomy finally bore fruit on December 9, 2021 with the publication of a list of labeled activities.
From the influence of Russia
However, the lobbies, dissatisfied with the content of this first list, used their influence with the European Commission until the publication, on February 2, 2022, of a complementary delegated act (a sort of amendment to this list) proposing the inclusion of nuclear and fossil gas in the green taxonomy. These “gifts” offered to the fossil and fissile industries are the result of pressure exerted openly by an alliance of pro-nuclear and pro-gas European countries, federated by France.
But behind these stated interests are also hidden those of Russia, through representatives of its gas, oil and nuclear industries, who have carried out intensive lobbying to have fossil gas and nuclear energy included in the European taxonomy and thus see their profits swell by several billion, according to a report recently published by Greenpeace France.
Following revelations concerning the Russian influence in the matter of European taxonomy, Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament announced on June 3 that “representatives of Russian companies are no longer allowed to enter the premises of the European Parliament”. Not only would it undermine any effort made by the European Union to free itself from Russia, but it could turn out to be a veritable gold mine for the latter.
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