Most EU countries failed to submit their national climate plans

Only four EU countries submitted their long-term climate and energy plans on time. The Czech Republic was not among them.

EU countries were legally required to submit their national energy and climate plans for 2030 (NECPs) by the end of June. Despite the deadline, the European Commission received  only four plans, Euractiv reports. The countries that submitted them on time were the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, which together account for 8% of the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Commission strongly urges all other member states to submit their plans as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added, noting that sending plans to Brussels is a “legal obligation” for EU countries.

These are key documents for assessing whether the EU is meeting its climate targets. However, the European Commission is reluctant to sue countries that have yet to submit their plans for violating the EU’s climate governance regulation. As a first step, the European Commission intends to remind countries to submit their plans at informal ministerial meetings

The crux of the problem

Some member states’ approach to the issue may also be due to the fact that the energy landscape has been highly turbulent in recent years. The geopolitical situation has affected the functioning of energy markets, and EU legislation has sought to reflect these developments, determining to some extent how ambitious national plans should be.

The Commission considers a complete overview of climate plans essential to understanding whether the EU is meeting its climate targets and to giving businesses greater clarity about the investments needed.

It remains to be seen whether France will submit a plan that meets Brussels’ requirements. Paris and Brussels are still at odds over the role nuclear energy should play. The Austrian government is also unlikely to be able to agree on a plan, both because of the upcoming elections and because of disagreements following a chaotic vote on the EU Nature Restoration Law.

Czech NECP

The Czech Republic is still working on its plan. The Commission has asked Czechia to increase the share of renewables in final energy consumption from the 30% proposed by Czechia to 33%. According to industry organisations, the initial draft of the updated NECP did not make use of the available potential for renewable energy sources.

“Czechia has significant untapped potential for developing renewable energy sources. We consider the European Commission’s recommendation to raise the green energy target by three percentage points relevant,” the organisations said.