EU climate commissioner Timmermans resigns

European Commission executive vice-president Frans Timmermans today resigned as commissioner responsible for climate action. Timmermans is now a candidate in the Netherlands' general election on 22 November, as leader of the country's GroenLinks-PvdA party — an alliance between the green and Labour parties.

Slovak vice-president of the commission Maros Sefcovic temporarily takes over Timmermans' portfolio until the appointment of a new Dutch member of the commission. Sefcovic has been leading the commission's long-term planning and inter-institutional relations. And Sefcovic, energy commissioner in 2014-19, has taken charge of the EU's joint purchasing of gas and launched the European Battery Alliance (EBA) in October 2017.

Timmermans became the commission's executive vice-president for the European Green Deal in 2019, after serving as first vice-president between 2014-19, in charge of better regulation, inter-institutional relations, rule of law and charter of fundamental rights. The European Green Deal is the EU's overarching policy strategy, which aims to take the bloc to "climate-neutral" — or net zero — by 2050. Timmermans also oversaw the EU's so-called Fit for 55 package, under which the bloc aims to reduce emissions by at least 55pc by 2030, from 1990 levels.

And he led international climate negotiations on behalf of the EU, including at the UN Cop 27 climate summit in November 2022, where he fought hard to increase ambition on mitigation — efforts to reduce climate change.

Following legislative adoption of most of the EU's climate and energy laws for 2030, commission president Ursula von der Leyen indicated priorities for Sefcovic as strengthening industrial clean innovation, upgrading grids and infrastructure for energy transition and access to critical raw materials.

"We will continue to develop a stronger international strategy for the European Green Deal, in line with our economic and geopolitical interests", von der Leyen said today.

By Dafydd ab Iago