EU funds drive rethink in East Europe on climate, says Timmermans

(Reuters, 16 Oct 2020) East European nations are thinking more seriously about how to reduce carbon emissions, the EU's top climate official said on Friday.

East European nations are thinking more seriously about how to reduce carbon emissions to make use of a 750 billion euro ($880 billion) European Union economic recovery fund, the EU's top climate official said on Friday.

The bloc has set up the Next Generation EU war chest to support economies hammered by the coronavirus crisis, with a focus on helping shift the EU's 27 nations away from using fossil fuels and improving energy efficiency.

East European nations are among the biggest users of coal in the bloc and have been slower than richer nations, such as Germany, in drawing up plans to shift away from the fuel.

"I see quite a sea change, also in Central and Eastern Europe, in terms of the climate crisis," European Commission Executive Vice President Frans Timmermans told Reuters in a live interview.

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Reuters, 16 Oct 2020: EU funds drive rethink in East Europe on climate, says Timmermans