_{In the proposed EU economic recovery package, the Commission suggests that the EU put some €1.25 billion toward CO2 capture and storage (CCS) from fossil fuel powered plants.}

“This is very gratifying. We can’t use new coal plants in Europe without their CO2 _{emissions being cleaned,” said Bellona Europa director Eivind Hoff. “It is therefore so important to situate funding for CCS as soon as it is altogether possible, and this crisis funding can contribute to that.”} 
 
A climate-friendly crisis package
_{The Commission proposes to use a total of €3.5 billion for climate and energy efforts like CCS, offshore wind energy and new and better infrastructure for electricity and gas.}

The European Commission proposes a separate €500 million programme for offshore windmills called the “Offshore Energy Programme”.  

“The proposals that support offshore wind energy and CCS show that the EU’s crisis packages really is climate friendly,” said Hoff.

Adoption can come quickly
_{In order for the proposals from the European Commission to become a reality, they must be supported by both the European Parliament and the Council, where all European Union Member States are represented. It will presumably take a few months before the proposal can be adopted.}

For more information, contact:

Bellona Europa Director Eivind Hoff (+ 32 473 48 05 56)

Bellona Europa Chairman Paal Frisvold (+32 473 978 760)
 
Bellona Communications Director Anne Karin Sæther (+ 47 90 20 55 20)