Agenda of the EU Environment Council, 16 October 2023

Urban wastewater treatment

EU environment ministers will seek to reach an agreement (‘general approach’) on a proposal to revise the urban wastewater treatment directive that will serve as the negotiating mandate to start talks with the European Parliament (‘trilogues’).

The proposal extends the scope of the directive and asks member states to set up plans for large cities to handle urban runoff from rainwater. It also introduces a binding energy neutrality target for the urban wastewater treatment sector to be met in each member state by 2040, along with interim targets in 2030 and 2035.

Proposal to revise the urban wastewater treatment directive

Zero-pollution action plan (European Commission)

CO₂ emission standards for heavy-duty vehicles

Ministers will aim to reach an agreement on a proposal to review the regulation for CO₂ emission standards for new heavy-duty vehicles.

The proposal aims to further reduce CO₂ emissions in the road transport sector in line with the EU’s climate objectives by raising the emissions reduction targets for 2030 and introducing new targets for 2035 and 2040. In addition, more vehicle categories will be included in the targets, notably buses and trailers. The proposal also states that all new urban buses will have to be zero-emission from 2030.

Proposal on strengthening the CO₂ emission performance standards for new heavy-duty vehicles

Clean and sustainable mobility (background information)

European Green Deal (background information)

COP28 climate change conference

EU environment ministers will seek to approve Council conclusions on the preparations for the 2023 united nations climate change conference (COP28), which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from 30 November to 12 December 2023. The conclusions will serve as the EU’s general negotiating position at the COP28.

The main agenda items of the conference are expected to be:

• the global stocktake
• the mitigation work programme
• the global goal on adaptation
• climate finance, including financial arrangements for loss and damage

COP28 UAE

Climate goals and the EU’s external policy (background information)

Financing the climate transition (background information)

Infographic – Paris Agreement: the EU’s road to climate neutrality

See full infographic

EU nationally determined contribution to the UNFCCC

Ministers will also seek to approve the submission by the EU of an updated nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the UNFCCC, the UN climate convention. NDCs are an integral part of the Paris Agreement, which requires each party to the convention to communicate their post-2020 climate actions.

NDCs set out the efforts made by each country to reduce national emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The EU submits an NDC on behalf of the EU and its member states.

Paris Agreement on climate change (background information)

Other business

Under other business, the Commission will present a legislative proposal on the revision of the Waste Framework Directive and a recommendation on improving the rate of return of used and waste mobile phones, tablets, and laptops.

Poland will inform the ministers on the impact of the EU carbon market on different EU policies.

Meeting information

• Meeting n°3973
• Luxembourg
• 16 October 2023

Preparatory documents

• Provisional agenda
• Provisional list of A items, legislative deliberations
• Provisional list of A items, non-legislative activities
• Background brief