On Monday 1 July, only four Member States – the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland and Sweden – had submitted the final version of their revised ‘National Energy and Climate Plans’ (NECPs), which were due by 30 June, as stipulated in the Regulation on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action.
“We are obliged to receive 27 plans, we have received only 4 plans; we strongly urge all other Member States to submit their plans as soon as possible”, explained a spokesperson for the European Commission, Tim McPhie.
In December 2023, the European Commission published an initial assessment analysing 21 provisional revised NECPs (to be sent by 30 June 2023), noting a lack of ambition with regard to energy efficiency and renewable energy development targets (see EUROPE 13317/5).
At this stage, it is not possible for the Commission to make a final assessment.
“We need a critical mass of plans to come in before we can look at the cumulative contribution”, said Mr McPhie.
If the ambitions prove insufficient once again, the new assessment will allow additional measures to be proposed, in accordance with Article 31 of the Governance Regulation.
The European Commission is therefore calling on those Member States who have not yet published their final plans to do so as soon as possible, and is also calling on Austria – which has not yet published its provisional plan and is the subject of an EU infringement procedure (see EUROPE 13319/33) – to present this first version as soon as possible (see EUROPE 13401/7).
The Commission will reiterate this call at the informal meetings of environment and energy ministers to be held in Budapest in mid-July. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)