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

Sweden 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 presidencies France and the Czech Republic cooperate with Sweden.

The Swedish priorities were presented on 14 December 2022: security, resilience, prosperity, democratic values and the rule of law. "A greener, more secure and freer Europe is the foundation of our priorities," said prime minister Ulf Kristersson. The Swedish presidency "will continue efforts to tackle high and volatile energy prices while addressing long-term energy market reform. [...] We will put Fit for 55 into action and speed up the energy transition," it says. The website of the presidency can be found here.

Politico reported that Sweden has a lot to manage during the six months. "With massive official bandwith having been taken up first by COVID and then by the war in Ukraine, the legislative timetable looks severely backed up, with some major policy packages yet to emerge."

Agriculture and Fisheries Council

One of several regular annual meetings of agriculture ministers.

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, will be announced in June 2023.

Transport Council

This is one of several regular meetings of EU transport ministers.

Informal meeting of agriculture and fisheries ministers

The Swedish Council presidency invites ministers to Stockholm.

Energy Council

This is one of several regular meetings of EU energy ministers.

Environment Council

This is one of several regular meetings of EU environment ministers.

French president Emmanuel Macron invites government leaders to Paris for a summit to discuss a "new pact" with vulnerable countries when it comes to climate finance, and the global financial architecture regarding climate action in general. Barbados prime minister Mia Mottley's Bridgetown Initiative is sure to be a key element of debate. Devex reported from a concept note by the French organisers on what they hope to achieve "and it is not lacking in optimism. "Ambitious decisions" are forecast in Paris on everything from greater access to climate finance and debt relief for low-income countries, to how they can leverage additional financing from the International Monetary Fund, not to mention “international tax arrangements," Devex writes.

Commission vice-president Timmermans and High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Borrell are set to present a joint communication.

This is one of four regular meetings of EU heads of state and government as the European Council.

In order to meet the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2030, Member States are required to have a 10-year National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) for the period from 2021 to 2030. By 30 June 2023, Member States will submit to the Commission draft updated NECPs. The Commission has published guidance to Member States on the process and scope of this update.

Spain 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'. Belgium and Hungary follow on Spain.

President Snachez said strategic autonomy will be one of the main priorities of the Spanish presidency.

The Commission plans to make the following proposals: Soil Health Law, Regulation on plants produced by new genomic techniques, Revision of food waste and textiles aspects of the EU waste framework Directive, Revision of legislation on seeds and other plant and forest reproductive material.

Check out CLEW's dossier on the German situation: The wicked task of feeding 83 million in a climate-friendly way

The Commission presents a "Greening transport" package.

In its work programme 2023, the Commission says it aims to present a package on greening freight transport containing:

1. International freight and passenger transport – increasing the share of rail traffic (legislative, incl. impact assessment)
2. Revision of the weights and dimensions Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment)
3. Revision of the combined transport Directive (legislative, incl. impact assessment)

In its work programme 2023, the Commission says it will present a legislative proposal or a more general policy proposal on greening corporate fleets.

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.

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.

This is one of four regular meetings of EU heads of state and government as the European Council.

This is one of four regular meetings of EU heads of state and government as the European Council.

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).