What’s next in Europe? – Timeline of European climate and energy policy
You can find more information on European climate and energy events and developments in the European Parliament’s European Green Deal legislative train schedule, in the event calendar of the Swedish Council presidency, and in the Council’s press calendar.
2023
Date | 1 July - 31 December |
Event | |
Subject |
The Council represents the governments of member states, and the presidency rotates among EU member states every six months. It is not only responsible for setting policy priorities and planning and chairing meetings among ministers, but must also try and reach agreement on laws with the EU’s other legislative bodies – the Commission and the Parliament. Member states holding the presidency work together closely in groups of three, called 'trios'. Belgium and Hungary follow on Spain. Spain is headed for snap elections during the first month of its EU Council presidency (23 July), but current prime minister Pedro Sanchez has downplayed the prospect that the elections would disrupt the Council presidency and emphasized that EU reindustrialization would be his central ambition, reported Politico. The outlet also wrote up key legislation the presidency will have to deal with from July until December, including the critical raw materials act or vehicle pollutant standards. The Spanish government presented the four priorities of its presidency: Reindustrialise the EU and ensure its open strategic autonomy, advance in the green transition and the environmental adaptation, promoting greater social and economic justice, and strengthening European unity. "We will promote a reform of the electricity market aimed at accelerating the deployment of renewable energies, the reduction of electricity prices, and the improvement of the system’s stability," writes the government. "We will work to accelerate the legislative files related to Fit for 55, such as the Gas and Hydrogen package, and the energy efficiency regulations."
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Press contact | media.eu2023es@comunicacion.presidencia.gob.es, Presidency Communications Office Team, General Coordinator: Ana Belén Vázquez González anabelen.vazquez@comunicacion.presidencia.gob.es, +34 672 04 28 04 |
Date | 13 September |
Event |
State of the Union speech by European Commission president von der Leyen |
Subject |
In September each year, the president of the European Commission delivers the state of the union address to the Parliament. The address takes stock of the achievements of the past year and presents the priorities for the year ahead. The president also sets out how the Commission will address the most pressing challenges the European Union faces and ideas for shaping the future of the EU. This will be Commission president Ursula von der Leyen's fourth state of the union speech. |
Press contact | Eric Mamer, European Commission |
Date | in summer |
Event | EU to announce details on 1st green hydrogen auction |
Subject |
The Commission will launch in autumn 2023 a first auction–or competitive bid-for supporting the production of renewable hydrogen. Winners of this auction will receive a fixed premium for each kg of renewable hydrogen produced over a period of 10 years. Terms and conditions for this first pilot auction, with an indicative budget of EUR 800 million, was supposed to be announced in June 2023. However, EurActiv reported that it will only be announced by the end of summer. The auction would then be launched later in the year. |
Press contact | Tim McPhie, European Commission |
Date | Q3 2023 |
Event | European Commission presents proposal on greening corporate fleets |
Subject |
In its work programme 2023, the Commission says it will present a legislative proposal or a more general policy proposal on greening corporate fleets. |
Press contact | Tim McPhie, European Commission |
Date | Q3 2023 |
Event | European Commission presents proposal on sustainable food systems |
Subject |
In its work programme 2023, the Commission says: "We will set up a comprehensive framework for sustainable food systems in the EU, to make sustainability central to all food-related policies." It will present a legislative proposal together with an impact assessment. |
Press contact | Tim McPhie, European Commission |
Date | 21-22 September |
Event | |
Subject |
The Spanish Council presidency invites EU transport ministers to Barcelona. |
Press contact | Spain's EU Council presidency |
Date | by 30 September at the latest |
Event | European Commission to present progress report on reaching climate neutrality 2050 |
Subject |
The EU climate law prescribes that the Commission must present a progress report every five years by 30 September (starting in 2023) to ensure "that the Union and the Member States remain on track to achieve the climate-neutrality objective and progress on adaptation." |
Press contact | Tim McPhie, European Commission |
Date | 2 October |
Event | International climate and energy summit in Madrid |
Subject |
Teresa Ribera, Vice-President of the Government of Spain, and Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), announced that they will host an international climate and energy summit in Madrid focussed on the urgency of accelerating the global clean energy transition. The event will take place during the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It will bring together energy and climate ministers, and industry, finance and civil society leaders from around the world just weeks before COP28 – with the purpose of building a grand coalition to accelerate momentum towards reaching the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. |
Press contact | IEA: press@iea.org |
Date | 6 October |
Event | |
Subject |
The Spanish Council presidency invites EU heads of state and government to Granada. Prime minister Sanchez has said that the Spanish presidency will propose a strategic vision of how to continue moving towards the goal to reindustrialise and diversify EU relations until 2030 to the Council and the Union as a whole, with the intention of discussing it at the Informal Meeting of Heads of State and Government in October in Granada. |
Press contact | Spain's EU Council presidency |
Date | 16 October |
Event | Environment Council |
Subject |
This is one of several regular annual meetings of EU environment ministers. |
Press contact | Johanna Store, European Council |
Date | 26-27 October |
Event | European Council |
Subject |
This is one of four regular meetings of EU heads of state and government as the European Council. |
Press contact | Barendt Leyts, European Council |
Date | 4 December |
Event | Transport Council |
Subject |
This is one of several regular annual meetings of EU transport ministers. |
Press contact | Dimosthenis Mammonas, European Council |
Date | 14-15 December |
Event | European Council |
Subject |
This is one of four regular meetings of EU heads of state and government as the European Council. |
Press contact | Barendt Leyts, European Council |
Date | 18 December |
Event | Environment Council |
Subject |
This is one of several regular annual meetings of EU environment ministers. |
Press contact | Johanna Store, European Council |
Date | 19 December |
Event | Energy Council |
Subject |
This is one of several regular annual meetings of EU energy ministers. |
Press contact | Dimosthenis Mammonas, European Council |
Date | 2023 |
Event | European Commission presents CCUS proposal |
Subject |
It didn't make it into the 2023 work programme, but energy Commissioner Kadri Simson has said the Commission aims to present "a Communication on a strategic vision" for carbon capture and use/storage (CCUS) in 2023. In the run-up, the Commissioner expects to publish a study to analyse an outline of the CO2 transport and storage infrastructure in 2030 and 2040 (early 2023) and an analysis of the regulatory environment (also early 2023). |
Press contact | Giulia Bedini, European Commission |
2024
Date | 1 January |
Event |
Belgium takes over EU Council presidency |
Subject |
The Council represents the executive governments of member states, and the presidency rotates among EU member states every six months. It is not only responsible for setting policy priorities and planning and chairing meetings among ministers and heads of government, but must also try and reach agreement on laws with the EU’s other legislative bodies – the Commission and the Parliament. Member states holding the presidency work together closely in groups of three, called 'trios'. Preceding presidencies Spain and following presidency Hungary cooperate with Belgium. |
Press contact | press.belgoeurop@diplobel.fed.be |
Date | Q1/Q2 2024 (tbc) |
Event | European Commission to make proposal on 2040 climate target & GHG budget for 2030-2050 |
Subject |
The EU aims to reduce emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and targets climate neutrality by 2050. Now, the EU is focussing on the interim year 2040, for which no target exists so far. This is set to become a major EU climate policy debate in 2024. The European Union climate law requires the European Commission to propose a 2040 climate target at the latest within six months of the first global stocktake under the Paris Climate Agreement. As this is scheduled to be completed by COP28 in December, the Commission would have to deliver by June 2024. Consultancy Edelman Global expects a communication in the first quarter of the year, and commissioner Frans Timmermans has told Table.Media that the issue must be part of the EU election campaign. The vote takes place 6-9 June 2024. The climate law also requires the Commission to publish the projected indicative Union greenhouse gas budget for the 2030-2050 period, defined as “the indicative total volume of net greenhouse gas emissions that are expected to be emitted in that period without putting at risk the Union’s commitments under the Paris Agreement.” |
Press contact | Tim McPhie, European Commission |
Date | 6 - 9 June |
Event | European elections 2024 |
Subject |
Every five years EU citizens choose who represents them in the European Parliament, the directly-elected institution in the EU decision-making process. In an elaborate process which involves member state governments, the parliament then votes to elect the European Commission -- the EU's executive body which is in charge of drawing up and presenting draft proposals to change EU legislation. The elections take place every five years and are the largest transnational elections in the world. By voting in the European elections, people living in the EU get to choose the 705 members that will represent them in the European Parliament until 2029. |
Press contact | Parliament’s press service. |