PRO EU policy intelligence
One platform showing you what's happening in Brussels right now. The latest contributions from Think Tanks, NGOs and Industry to EU policy debates — collected daily to keep you on top of the discussions.
A policy brief from Ariadne, a Kopernikus project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, sets out why Germany and the EU should maintain ambitious climate policies and examines the instruments and formats through which they can promote climate (...)
Transitioning towards a circular textile economy has become a central objective of the European Union’s sustainability policy. Moving away from the currently li (...)
ABSTRACT European Union (EU) strategies for food supply address challenges of increasing, or at least maintaining, today's level of agricultural food production. At the same time, European farmland biodiversity continues to deteriorate despite considerable investments in (...)
This article examines the evolving role of the Transmission System Operator (TSO) in the aftermath of the 2021–2022 energy crisis with a particular focus on their involvement in the financial electricity markets through Electricity Price Area Differential (EPAD)-coupling. The (...)
The European Union’s legally binding objective of climate neutrality by 2050 represents its most ambitious response to the escalating global climate crisis and a central expression of its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. This originates in the European Green Deal’s (...)
This article examines whether European Union (EU) rule-of-law principles constrain the introduction and application of Scope 3 greenhouse gas assessment obligations within environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures. Although the EIA Directive does not expressly require the (...)
Batteries are already helping to reduce the amount of renewable energy being lost in Greece, while also reducing the need for electricity generation from costly fossil gas. However, the country is still far from the desired level of battery deployment. This is highlighted by (...)
With Climate Week NYC kicking off shortly alongside the ongoing UN General Assembly, E3G is pleased to share some of our programming for the week and offer comment on key moments for interested media. We have an expert team in New York all week who can provide insights and (...)
This article focuses on appraising the progress of efforts by the European Union (EU) to address the issue of invasive alien species (IAS) affecting the Union. IAS have been identified as being a significant challenge for environmental authorities world-wide in seeking to (...)
BRUSSELS, 16 September 2026 – Reacting to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) calls for Europe to take action to face the globe’s most significant security challenges posed by growing (...)
Von der Leyen delivers annual state of the EU speech © Eric De Mildt / Greenpeace Brussels, 16 September 2026 – Commenting on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s annual state of the European Union speech , Greenpeace EU Programme Director Magda Stoczkiewicz (...)
In an interview with ESG+ Stories, Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director and co-founder of The Green Tank, discusses the need to rethink how we measure wealth and well-being. She explains why GDP alone is no longer enough to capture a country’s true prosperity, and why nature (...)
Plastic waste in rivers and seas is a global environmental problem. But how does this waste end up in our waterways – and what can policymakers, scientists and society do about it? Doris Knoblauch, Director of the Resources Programme at Ecologic Institute, will discuss these (...)
How can environmental and climate taxes be designed at the international level so that they are effective, workable and fair? The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is bringing together research and practical experience from around the world at an international (...)
WRI and IEEP will host a lively and solutions-focused event on 29 September in Brussels that puts one message front and centre: business is ready to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The post Event | Ready for the EUDR: perspectives from business appeared first (...)
Two years on, the HiEFFICIENT project continues to drive a new era of electromobility across Europe. Its legacy lives on through commercial products, new spin-offs and follow-up initiatives that redefine sustainable transport (...)
Cefic is calling for an EU-wide sustainability framework for biomass used in products tied to market-pull measures (...)
This brief proposes that access by airlines to emission allowances from other sectors should gradually be reduced. Download the policy brief Explore our ETS Simulator Aviation was included in the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) in 2012, initially covering all flights (...)
Europe’s transition to climate neutrality is reshaping industrial value chains and labour markets. This report provides an assessment of the employment implications of selected clean energy technologies in the European Union, with a focus on wind energy, solar photovoltaics, (...)
A policy brief from Ariadne, a Kopernikus project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, sets out why Germany and the EU should maintain ambitious climate policies and examines the instruments and formats through which they can promote climate (...)
Transitioning towards a circular textile economy has become a central objective of the European Union’s sustainability policy. Moving away from the currently li (...)
ABSTRACT European Union (EU) strategies for food supply address challenges of increasing, or at least maintaining, today's level of agricultural food production. At the same time, European farmland biodiversity continues to deteriorate despite considerable investments in (...)
High-level stakeholder event organised by PubAffairs Bruxelles in partnership with Plastics Europe The debate brought together policymakers, industry representatives and stakeholders to discuss the role of the forthcoming Circular Economy Act (CEA) in Europe’s industrial future (...)
This article examines the evolving role of the Transmission System Operator (TSO) in the aftermath of the 2021–2022 energy crisis with a particular focus on their involvement in the financial electricity markets through Electricity Price Area Differential (EPAD)-coupling. The (...)
Today marks the deadline for EU countries to submit their draft National Restoration Plans under the EU Nature Restoration Law. Environmental organisations urge governments to move beyond box-ticking and set out credible, science-based plans that deliver restoration on the (...)
The European Union’s legally binding objective of climate neutrality by 2050 represents its most ambitious response to the escalating global climate crisis and a central expression of its commitments under the 2015 Paris Agreement. This originates in the European Green Deal’s (...)
Authors: Barbara Jarkiewicz, Deniz Celik Bulgurlu, and Joanna Trimble Cities are where climate ambitions hit the ground running. Their i nnovati on and leadership translate climate targets into real emissions cuts across every municipal system – how it powers and moves , how it (...)
This article examines whether European Union (EU) rule-of-law principles constrain the introduction and application of Scope 3 greenhouse gas assessment obligations within environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedures. Although the EIA Directive does not expressly require the (...)
Batteries are already helping to reduce the amount of renewable energy being lost in Greece, while also reducing the need for electricity generation from costly fossil gas. However, the country is still far from the desired level of battery deployment. This is highlighted by (...)
With Climate Week NYC kicking off shortly alongside the ongoing UN General Assembly, E3G is pleased to share some of our programming for the week and offer comment on key moments for interested media. We have an expert team in New York all week who can provide insights and (...)
Taking place from tomorrow against a backdrop of accelerating climate impacts, alongside intensifying conflicts, instability, economic pressures and global tensions, UNGA81 and Climate Week NYC are critical places to reinforce climate action, cooperation, and the clean energy (...)
This article focuses on appraising the progress of efforts by the European Union (EU) to address the issue of invasive alien species (IAS) affecting the Union. IAS have been identified as being a significant challenge for environmental authorities world-wide in seeking to (...)
BRUSSELS, 16 September 2026 – Reacting to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address, the European Environmental Bureau (EEB) calls for Europe to take action to face the globe’s most significant security challenges posed by growing (...)
Von der Leyen delivers annual state of the EU speech © Eric De Mildt / Greenpeace Brussels, 16 September 2026 – Commenting on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s annual state of the European Union speech , Greenpeace EU Programme Director Magda Stoczkiewicz (...)
Emissions from electricity generation rose in July to 1.28 million tons (+25.6% compared to June), mainly due to increased gas use, which also pushed the carbon intensity above 200 g CO2/kWh (204 g CO2/kWh, +12.5%). However, for the first 7 months of 2026, emissions from the (...)
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Cary Fowler , founder and president of the Food Security Leadership Council and former US global food security envoy, and Jim O’Brien , ECFR distinguished visiting fellow and former US assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian (...)
We are delighted to announce that Dr Sinja Dittmann, lead author of a study investigating plastic pollution in German rivers, has won first prize in the "Wissen der Vielen – Forschungspreis für Citizen Science" (Knowledge of the Many – Citizen Science Research Award). The study (...)
In an interview with ESG+ Stories, Ioli Christopoulou, Policy Director and co-founder of The Green Tank, discusses the need to rethink how we measure wealth and well-being. She explains why GDP alone is no longer enough to capture a country’s true prosperity, and why nature (...)
Plastic waste in rivers and seas is a global environmental problem. But how does this waste end up in our waterways – and what can policymakers, scientists and society do about it? Doris Knoblauch, Director of the Resources Programme at Ecologic Institute, will discuss these (...)
Clean energy technologies are creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the European Union, according to a report published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA). However, persistent shortages of skilled workers risk slowing future growth, while at the same time the (...)
Nature Climate Change, Published online: 02 September 2026; doi:10.1038/s41558-026-02734-6 The authors consider factual and counterfactual scenarios to isolate the role of climate change in the decline of suitable habitats for European bumblebees (1901–2019). They show (...)
Nikos Mantzaris, co-founder and energy policy analyst at The Green Tank, spoke to journalist Giorgos Psaltis on SKAI Radio about electricity prices, following the Prime Minister’s commitment, announced at the Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), to reduce electricity bills by (...)
The Green Tank’s new analysis [in Greek], titled “Electricity exports from fossil gas: the cost to the Greek market and the climate”, quantitatively examines the impact of this additional use of fossil gas for electricity exports on Greece’s wholesale electricity market and on (...)
How can environmental and climate taxes be designed at the international level so that they are effective, workable and fair? The Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) is bringing together research and practical experience from around the world at an international (...)
WRI and IEEP will host a lively and solutions-focused event on 29 September in Brussels that puts one message front and centre: business is ready to implement the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). The post Event | Ready for the EUDR: perspectives from business appeared first (...)
Two years on, the HiEFFICIENT project continues to drive a new era of electromobility across Europe. Its legacy lives on through commercial products, new spin-offs and follow-up initiatives that redefine sustainable transport (...)
News: New Agora and INETTT tool helps translate clean energy ambition into actionable policy reform (...)
Cefic is calling for an EU-wide sustainability framework for biomass used in products tied to market-pull measures (...)
Press Release: How the EU Industrial Accelerator Act can de-risk low-carbon steel investments (...)
The Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) is applied where polluters bear the costs of their pollution, including of measures to prevent, control and remedy it, of poli (...)
Critical minerals need secure supply chains – increasingly that depends on responsible production Expert comment sfarrell.drupa… 31 August 2026 More than half of critical minerals worldwide are located under or near Indigenous lands. Community protests have interrupted (...)
The article tracks a change of approach taken by national courts within and across legal systems to assessing climate actions in tort. The polycentric nature of climate policy, which had proven fatal to plaintiffs’ earlier cases in common law jurisdictions, has rarely struck (...)
How innovation in technologies demonstrates the need to modernise Europe’s recycling framework Europe has set ambitious circular economy, recycled content and climate objectives. For plastics, these objectives can help reduce waste to landfill and incineration, strengthen (...)
The hydrogen and gas decarbonization package introduces a legal framework for hydrogen transmission. To enable a hydrogen market in Europe as a key building block on the way to a climate neutral economy, a cross-border pipeline infrastructure must be constructed, which demands (...)
The energy transition is accelerating, with renewable energy generation continuing to break records . Yet this is taking place in an increasingly contested information environment – one in which information manipulation can shape public perceptions, political discourses and (...)
Every day, cities generate extraordinary amounts of information. Buildings consume energy. Buses move through neighbourhoods. Heat networks respond to changing demand. For years, much of this information existed in separate systems, making it difficult to understand how one (...)
In July 2026, renewables broke the 3 TWh “barrier,” setting a record for monthly production at 3,097 GWh. By absorbing 22.8 GWh of renewable energy that would otherwise have been curtailed, batteries prevented 13.6% of curtailments, which totaled 144.9 GWh in July (or 4.5% of (...)
The debate on the future of Greece’s lignite regions is no longer only about the timeline for the operation of lignite power plants. It is primarily about whether these regions will continue to receive support from the EU Cohesion Policy beyond 2027. In an article published in (...)
The unholy trinity of data centres, gas and carbon capture 31.08.2026 Tech Big tech companies like Microsoft, Amazon and Google are building new fossil gas plants to power their energy guzzling data centres. And the EU wants to triple Europe’s data centre capacity in five to (...)
In 2026, Europe endured one of its hottest ever summers putting the EU’s resilience and energy security to the test. Now, this autumn’s legislative agenda presents two opportunities to embed lessons from this summer’s heatwaves and plan for a secure and resilient future. The (...)
As the climate crisis accelerates, it deepens global inequalities, drives displacement and migration, and intersects with war and conflict. With time running out, urgent action is needed. The post A Fiery Planet in an Age of Climate Change, War and Migration appeared first on (...)
The European Climate Foundation (ECF) and the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) invite you to the launch of the Traded Emissions Tracker. The post Tracking the world’s hidden carbon: Launch of the ECF Traded Emissions Tracker appeared first on IEEP AISBL (...)
The climate crisis is not simply the result of human activity. Its roots lie in interconnected patriarchal, colonial and capitalist relations. The post The Androcene: Rethinking the Roots of the Planetary Crisis appeared first on transform!europe (...)
What is net zero? (...)
In Brussels you need to know what is happening when. Here we help you understand where in the policy cycle each law currently stands and what the next deadline is.
How to read this: each diagram traces a law's path through all 9 stages of the EU legislative process; the gold node marks where it stands today.
Next: Parliament and Council begin negotiating the Commission's July 2026 targeted ETS revision proposal (Phase 5, 2031–2040, aligned to the 2040 climate target).
Core ETS has run since 2005 (currently Phase 4). On 17 July 2026 the Commission tabled a targeted revision covering post-2030 rules — a new, parallel process still at proposal stage; it doesn't change the base law's own status.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2001/0245(COD) ↗
Next: Formal referral to Parliament's lead committee (expected ENVI) is still pending; no rapporteur has been named yet.
OEIL's own status field reads 'Preparatory phase in Parliament' — no committee assigned yet. Not to be confused with COM(2026)153 (a separate, narrower proposal on MSR allowance invalidation, procedure 2026/0085(COD)).
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2026/0212(COD) ↗
Next: Member states continue building ETS2 registries and reporting infrastructure ahead of the trading launch. — expected 2028-01-01
Trading start was postponed by one year, from 2027 to 2028, alongside the EU's 2040 climate target law (adopted March 2026), citing household/business cost concerns amid high energy prices.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0211A(COD) ↗
Next: Importers continue quarterly emissions tracking under the definitive regime; first annual declarations are due in 2027. — expected 2027-09-30
The definitive regime started on schedule on 1 January 2026 — not delayed, unlike several other laws on this list. Over 4,100 CBAM declarants were registered at launch.
Omnibus impact: Omnibus I introduced a 50-tonne annual mass "de minimis" threshold exempting roughly 90% of importers (mostly SMEs and individuals) from CBAM obligations, via amending procedure 2025/0039(COD) — Regulation (EU) 2025/2083, in force 20 October 2025.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0214(COD) ↗
Next: Commission pursues infringement proceedings against member states with incomplete transposition; remaining states finalize national laws.
The EU transposition deadline passed in May 2025, but several member states still hadn't fully transposed by mid-2026; Greece, Malta and Portugal were referred to the CJEU in April 2026.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0218(COD) ↗
Next: Member states must transpose the revised directive; the Commission is to issue delegated acts and implementation guidance. — expected 2028-07-26
Heavily amended by the 'Omnibus I' simplification package (in force March 2026). The transposition deadline was pushed twice — substantive company compliance obligations now don't start until 2029.
Omnibus impact: Omnibus I first postponed transposition/application via a 'stop-the-clock' procedure (Directive (EU) 2025/794, April 2025), then substantively narrowed scope and liability rules via a further amendment (Directive (EU) 2026/0470, published 26 February 2026).
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2022/0051(COD) ↗
Next: Continued rollout of Strategic Projects and progress toward the 2030 extraction/processing/recycling benchmarks. — expected 2026-11-24
A February 2026 European Court of Auditors report concluded implementation is 'unlikely to deliver the targeted supply security' on its current trajectory.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2023/0079(COD) ↗
Next: Continued designation of Net-Zero Strategic Projects and rollout of resilience criteria toward the 40% domestic manufacturing goal.
In force and implementing since mid-2024. See the CCUS entry for the Article 23 CO2 storage-capacity target specifically.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2023/0081(COD) ↗
Next: Wave 2 and Wave 3 companies prepare for reporting under the new thresholds; simplified ESRS standards are being finalized. — expected 2027-01-01
Substantially narrowed by Omnibus I (thresholds raised to >1,000 employees / >€450M turnover). Wave 1 (the largest companies) has reported since FY2024; Waves 2–3 were delayed to FY2027/FY2028.
Omnibus impact: Same Omnibus I amendment as CSDDD raised the scope threshold to >1,000 employees / >€450M turnover and delayed Wave 2/3 reporting; final act Directive (EU) 2026/0470, published 26 February 2026.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0104(COD) ↗
Next: Companies apply the new simplified reporting templates for FY2026, with a transitional option for FY2025.
A simplifying Delegated Act (part of Omnibus) cut required data points by roughly 64% for non-financial and 89% for financial undertakings.
Omnibus impact: A Commission Delegated Act adopted 4 July 2025 (in force 1 January 2026) cut mandatory Taxonomy reporting data points by ~64% for non-financial undertakings and ~89% for credit institutions — done via delegated act, not a new legislative procedure, so the base regulation's own procedure reference is unchanged.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2018/0178(COD) ↗
Next: Parliament finalizes its negotiating position on 'SFDR 2.0' before trilogues with Council and the Commission begin.
Current SFDR remains fully in force. A revision ('SFDR 2.0') is underway: Commission proposal Nov 2025 (procedure 2025/0361(COD)), Council mandate adopted June 2026; trilogues expected toward the end of 2026.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2018/0179(COD) ↗
Next: ECON committee vote on the draft report and amendments is still pending before Parliament can set its position for trilogue; Council already holds an agreed mandate.
Rapporteur Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy (Renew, ECON) appointed 29 Jan 2026; committee amendments tabled June 2026, but OEIL's own status field still reads 'Awaiting committee decision.' Council adopted its negotiating mandate 24 June 2026. Trilogues are reportedly targeted for Q4 2026 per press commentary — not yet confirmed on OEIL.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2025/0361(COD) ↗
Next: Operators build out due-diligence systems ahead of the new application date; the Commission finalizes a scope-narrowing delegated act. — expected 2026-12-30
Application date delayed twice — now December 2026 for large/medium operators (June 2027 for micro/small). The Commission's May 2026 review said the law itself won't be reopened, but proposed scope changes to cut compliance costs.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0366(COD) ↗
Next: Member states finalize and submit draft National Restoration Plans to the Commission. — expected 2026-09-01
A December 2025 assessment found implementation underway in most member states, but progress uneven against the binding 2030/2050 targets.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2022/0195(COD) ↗
Next: Member states track performance against the new binding 2026–2029 LULUCF budgets en route to individual 2030 targets.
The EU-wide net land sink remains well below the 2030 target of -310 MtCO2e, raising delivery concerns among independent analysts. The OEIL reference cited is for the 2023 amending regulation; the original 2018 LULUCF procedure was not separately pulled.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0201(COD) ↗
Next: Obligated oil & gas producers continue developing CO2 storage capacity; the Commission is expected to table a CO2 transport-network legal framework later in 2026. — expected 2030-01-01
Tracked via the Net-Zero Industry Act's Article 23 (no standalone CCUS law) — same OEIL procedure as NZIA. Storage capacity is growing, but the transport-network framework needed to hit the 50 Mt/year 2030 target is still pending.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2023/0081(COD) ↗
Next: Member states and covered entities apply energy management and audit requirements; the Commission continues supporting guidance.
The national transposition deadline passed in October 2025; focus is now on enforcement and compliance monitoring toward the binding 11.7% energy-reduction target by 2030.
Source: European Parliament Legislative Observatory (OEIL) — 2021/0203(COD) ↗
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