This report highlights the amount of influence and the direction in which each MEP is pushing EU trade legislation in the current Parliamentary term. It also outlines the existing divergent visions within each political faction and, in some cases, among Governments. 

Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA)

Status

• European Parliament: Advanced committee stage (vote scheduled in ITRE committee on September 7)
• Council of the EU: General approach reached

Positioning of politicians

European Parliament: How critical raw materials (CRMs) should be regulated at the EU level is shaping a war of words in the EP and even among MEPs from the same political groups. A key contention point that marks the debates in the EP refers to the eligibility criteria for “strategic projects” which may benefit from streamlined permitting processes and access to financing instruments.

• A group of S&D MEPs together with the Greens and the Left may favor stricter sustainability criteria for CRM projects to qualify as “strategic projects”.
• EPP, ECR and most of the MEPs from the nationalist ID are expected to advocate for more flexible rules for businesses to qualify for CRM’s financing instruments. In line with previous votes on similar subject matters captured in our matrix below, the Belgian delegation from the EPP is likely to diverge from the common approach within the group.
• Many Renew MEPs are still undecided. Our matrix below captured divergent visions within the political groups in the EP, and particularly within Renew, over how strict CRM sustainability criteria should be. The German (key MEPs: rapporteur Beer), Spanish (key MEPs: Bilbao Barandica and Solis from ITRE) and Romanian (key MEP: Mituța from ITRE) delegations may take on a more business-oriented approach, while the French (key MEP: Grudler from ITRE) and the Slovaks (key MEP: Hojsík from ITRE) are likely to focus on a more environmentally-friendly CRM framework. 

The matrix above indicates how influential each MEP is when regulating CRM, as well as the direction in which each MEP is pushing the legislation. Each dot in this chart is an MEP. Their position in the matrix is assessed based on MEPs’ track record when taking positions on the role of CRMs as part of the green transition process. The data covers the activities during the current Parliamentary term (since 2019). 

Note: the public version of the chart reveals only the positions of several MEPs. To discover the positions of all MEPs (and much more analysis), you need to log in with a premium account. 

For more information regarding the positioning of all MEPs click here. To access this info you need a premium subscription to our platform. If you don’t have one yet, please contact us at [email protected].

The table above shows how influential MEP Hojsík (Renew, Slovakia, ITRE) is when legislating on CRMs as well as his positioning on how CRM projects should be regulated. . His legislative record indicates that his support for those projects is lower compared to the average support within the Renew group. His “group score” captured by EU Matrix shows that Hojsík is likely to embrace a more environmentally-friendly CRM framework compared to his political group, which generally has a more business-oriented approach when it comes to CRMs. This indicates that Hojsík has his own views on the subject and may diverge from the common approach within Renew on certain key decisions. 

Note: To have a full report of MEP Hojsík’s previous positions and votes on CRM-related files, you need to log in with a premium account. 

For more information regarding the positioning of MEP Hojsík click here. To access this info you need a premium subscription to our platform. If you don’t have one yet, please contact us at [email protected].

EU Council: Council common position can be consulted here.

The Spanish Presidency, whose mandate started on July 1, is envisioned to dynamize negotiations and play an active role on the file, as Madrid has vast reserves of domestic raw materials that it wants to export onto the EU market and strong trade relations with resource-rich nations in Latin America.

For more information regarding member states positioning, please contact us at [email protected].

Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA)

Status

• European Parliament: Advanced ITRE committee stage
• Council of the EU: Ongoing examination

Positioning of politicians

European Parliament: The NZIA proposal triggered mixed reactions from the MEPs, the governments and the industry. Which technologies are to be included among the strategic projects that will benefit from subsidies is still uncertain. The inclusion of nuclear energy, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) have emerged as major points of contention in current parliamentary debates.

• There is a variety of views among MEPs when it comes to the decarbonisation of different industries: some MEPs favor a more gradual process (especially from EPP and ECR, as well as some Renew ones), while others push for a faster transition towards net-zero emissions (from the S&D and particularly from the Greens). 
• Generally, EPP members are in favor of enlarging the NZIA list of strategic net-zero technologies. This is the case, for example, of the rapporteur on the legislative proposals, MEP Christian Ehler (Germany, EPP), and the shadow rapporteur Evžen Tošenovský (Czechia, ECR).
• Some S&D members joined the Greens in their opposition towards broadening the list. There are also some moderates within S&D, particularly among the Romanian delegation, who are likely to green-light incentives for innovative net-zero technologies, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS).
•  Middle-ground MEPs, especially from S&D and Renew, can be decisive to secure majorities in one direction or another. Stronger support for CCS and other alternative technologies is spotted among the Renew Swedish (key MEP: Wiesner from ITRE), German (key MEPs: Beer from ITRE and Czech delegations (key MEP: Dlabajová from ITRE) . The Renew French delegation, on the other hand, is not likely to stand for granting incentives to CCS technologies.

Note: To have a full report of MEP Wiesner’s previous positions and votes on files dealing with net-zero technologies, you need to log in with a premium account. 

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EU Council: The proposal is still under examination by the member states. Notably, political sources indicate that France is taking the lead of a “nuclear alliance” which aims at recognizing nuclear power as a strategic net-zero technology.

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EU - Mercosur free trade agreement (FTA)

• Status: Pending signing by member states and approval by the European Parliament
• Positioning of politicians

European Parliament:

Despite the reported ambition to finalize an agreement with Mercosur by the end of 2023, divergent positions concerning the level and pace of liberalization of trade (particularly) in agricultural goods are marking the debates in the EP.

• While political groups are internally divided on this issue, most EPP members are advocating for a swift ratification of the EU - Mercosur FTA, opposing additional rules and tariffs on the trade of agricultural products. Nevertheless, some MEPs from the EPP are likely to embrace stricter rules for the import of agricultural products from Mercosur, particularly from the Belgian, French and Irish delegations.
• On the other hand, S&D is utterly divided on the proposed agreement. A significant number of S&D members (especially French, Austrians and Dutch) are likely to advocate for stricter environmental, climate and social rules when finalising the future trade framework between the EU and Mercosur countries. However, MEPs from Portugal and Spain are likely to have a different stance than the one generally embraced by the rest of the S&D group, thus backing a quicker conclusion of the FTA framework.
• In Renew there are markedly split opinions among its members. While lots of Renew members are likely to position in favor of a quicker ratification of the FTA (especially the Spanish Ciudadanos members), others are likely to stand up for stricter rules on the agricultural products traded from Mercosur countries. EU Matrix data shows that the French (e.g. such as INTA MEP Vedrenne) delegation, for example, is more likely to support restrictions on products traded with Mercosur.
• The Greens and The Left remain the most radical in terms of mitigating eventual negative social, human health, animal welfare or environmental impact caused by the implementation of the FTA. 

The matrix above indicates how influential each MEP is when establishing trade rules with non-EU partners, as well as the direction in which each MEP is pushing the trade agreement with Mercosur. Each dot in this chart is an MEP. Their position in the matrix is computed based on MEPs’ track record when taking positions on aspects related to the trade agreement the EU is expected to conclude with Mercosur. The data covers the activities during the current Parliamentary term (since 2019).

For more information regarding the positioning of all MEPs, please click here. To access this info you need a premium subscription to our platform. If you don’t have one yet, please contact us at [email protected].

EU Council: 

Member states have split opinions when it comes to the EU-Mercosur FTA. Different countries, with France, Belgium, Austria and Ireland leading the camp, are calling for binding environmental provisions to be included in the next Mercosur FTA framework. Spain, on the other hand, which is currently holding the EU Council Presidency and which has traditional ties with Latin America, wants the Mercosur FTA to be concluded by the end of its mandate. Germany seems also likely to endorse a swift conclusion to talks on a free trade deal between the EU and Mercosur.

For more information regarding member states positioning, please contact us at [email protected].

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EU Matrix is an EU-focused research platform / think tank that combines expert insight and digital technology to provide factual and objective information on how the EU political machinery works. Our data helps at understanding where each political entity actually stands on hot topics when European debates take place and decisions are made. 

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