Climate: How - do MEPs vote? - APRIL 2021

- The pivotal role of the centrist Renew Europe group, new “kingmaker” at the European Parliament in this area, which, according to the topics and challenges, either shares the positions of the progressives (acknowledging the shortcomings of the current certification scheme to combat deforestation), or sides with the conservatives (opposing monetary penalties for non-compliance with due diligence. [...] The positions of this group which is the successor of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), heavily dominated by the French delegation of the La République en Marche movement, sometimes reflect the political stances of the French executive. [...] This was particularly the case during the plenary vote on the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) resolution, when, due to pressure from certain industrial lobbies, the EPP succeeded in having the statement concerning the need to eliminate the current measures to combat carbon leakage removed from the final text (allocations of CO2 emissions granted free of charge, under the EU ETS - the. [...] At the end of the day, the case of the CBAM is only one example of the fragile nature of the progressive and pro-environment coalition of the European Parliament with regard to certain technical subjects. [...] The study also highlights the key role played by the delegation of French MEPs in the Renew Europe group, an essential instrument for French influence in the definition of the group’s political priorities, and more broadly of the 2019-2024 term of office.