What’s next in Europe? – Agenda of European climate and energy policy

Poland takes over EU Council presidency

"Security, Europe!" is the motto of Poland's Council presidency. "The Polish presidency will support activities strengthening European security in all its dimensions: external, internal, economic, information, energy, food and health," said Adam Szłapka, minister for European Union affairs.

The Polish Presidency said it will promote actions aimed at a full withdrawal from imports of Russian energy sources. It will undertake steps with a view to reduce energy prices in the EU and revise the EU's energy security framework to enhance the physical security and cybersecurity of energy infrastructure in the EU and its neighbourhood and ensure a level playing field for the development of each clean energy source in the EU. It will also focus on agriculture.

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'. Poland will cooperate with the following presidencies Denmark and Cyprus.

EU member state ministers responsible for industry and the internal market come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

EU member state agriculture ministers come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

The Commission will present a legislative proposal to amend the union's climate law and set a new climate target for 2040. In 2024, the Commission already recommended that the EU reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 90 percent by 2040. It will now follow up with a legislative proposal that must then be negotiated among member states and with the European Parliament. The EU's new NDC (nationally determined contribution -- its climate target for 2035 under UN rules) will also need to be decided and there is an ongoing debate about how it should relate to the new 2040 target. Once the new target is set, the union will have to reform much of its energy and climate legislation to make it fit for reaching it.

The European Commission has not given a specific date for the 2040 target’s publication. In its work programme, the Commission states that the European Climate Law will be amended by the end of Q1 this year. However, climate commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said it would be delayed to "before summer" 2025. This is due to opposition to the proposal from several sides. [Read our Q&A about the 2040 climate target here.]

EU member state transport ministers come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

The Polish government invites EU agriculture ministers to Warsaw.

EU member state energy ministers come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

EU member state environment ministers come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

EU member state agriculture ministers come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

EU member state heads of state and government come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

Denmark takes over EU Council presidency

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 presidency Poland and following presidency Cyprus cooperate with Denmark. [More on the presidency]

The Commission will "put forward a plan for an ambitious European high-speed rail network to help connect EU capitals, including through night trains, and to accelerate rail freight." The the Community of European Railway and Infrastructure Companies (CER) has put out a position paper on what such a plan should be, and railway commentator Jon Worth also has some ideas.
Already in 2021, the previous Commission launched a plan to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple it by 2050.

The creation of a European Commissioner for the Mediterranean – held by Croatian politician Dubravka Šuica since the end of 2024 – is part of a renewed push to give the region more play, after earlier attempts lacked steam. Šuica is tasked with working out a “New Pact for the Mediterranean”, including a “Trans-Mediterranean Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative” to increase renewable energy trading and boost clean tech manufacturing in the region.

The Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator act will support energy intensive industries and is dedicated to simplifying legislation in order to streamline permit granting, authorisations and reporting requirements and make investment easier in Europe.

[This factsheet answers key questions on the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal.]

As part of efforts to streamline and simplify corporate sustainability rules, the Commission will also propose changes to the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation. This is interlinked with proposals for the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the EU Taxonomy Regulation, presented earlier in the year.

The Danish government invites EU member state heads of state and government to Denmark.

EU member state heads of state and government come together for one of several regular annual meetings.

EU member state heads of state and government come together for one of several regular annual meetings.