Geothermal and nuclear energy among the priorities of the Hungarian Council Presidency

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Promoting geothermal and nuclear energy and developing electricity networks are just some of the policies that the incoming Hungarian Presidency of the EU Council has promised to support to keep the energy transition in line with climate action, according to its recently unveiled work program.

Geothermal energy is a priority of the Hungarian Presidency, which is considering “its wider deployment” due to its “key role in ensuring energy autonomy and security” and in achieving climate goals. As the Belgian ambassador to Hungary, Jeroen Vergeylen, described during his visit to Szeged on Wednesday, the country boasts the largest geothermal urban heating system in the EU.

The guiding document for the presidency’s work sees nuclear energy as one of the “pillars of the success of the green transition” and states that it will support initiatives promoting nuclear energy. The Presidency is also considering support for access to “targeted EU financing for natural gas infrastructure projects” that “increases the diversification of sources and supply routes” to strengthen energy security.

The Presidency’s work promises to “promote the transition to a green, climate-neutral and circular economy” and “intends to play a role in setting European environmental and climate policy objectives” for the next legislative cycle.

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“Our goals include contributing to the triple challenge of reducing pollution, mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity, in line with the EU Strategy for the Danube Action Plan,” reads the six-month program of the Hungarian presidency.

It commits to “closely monitoring the implementation of the 2030 climate targets” as a cornerstone of achieving climate neutrality by 2050, binding under EU climate law. Regarding the 2040 climate target recommended by the European Commission but still lacking concrete policy measures, Budapest wants to contribute to the process of “defining an ambitious but achievable” intermediate climate target for 2040, taking into account social justice, competitiveness and security of energy supply in the EU.

“We continue to support mitigation, adaptation and climate finance on the path to climate neutrality, while emphasizing the importance of strengthening resilience,” the work program reads.

During the upcoming presidency, a number of high-profile international events will take place, such as COP16 in Brazil and COP29 in Azerbaijan, for which Hungary will “prepare, organize and ensure the representation of the EU and its Member States”, according to the document.

Food and textile waste prevention and circular economy targets, alongside the Ecological Claims Act, are some of the reserve provisions that the Hungarian Presidency has signaled as requiring improvement through a “comprehensive legal framework” and “achieving the greatest possible progress”.

Trade partnerships struck between Budapest and Mercedes-Benz to develop car plants and the electric vehicle battery sector with South Korea were revealed this week by Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs, as the country aims to become one of the world’s top five battery producers. production of 250 GWh, meeting 35% of Europe’s demand, Kovacs said.

“Minister (of National Economy) Martón Nagy emphasized Hungary’s strategic position in combining Western and Eastern capital and technology, leading to a boom in the production of high-tech batteries,” Kovacs wrote in X.

The Presidency will host several events related to EU energy policy, including the Conference on the Strategic Energy Technology Plan aimed at supporting the deployment of green technologies, scheduled for autumn 2024.