Europe·since 26 May·340 entries
The Green Deal under revision
The EU's climate agenda has shifted from legislative expansion to implementation, simplification, and competitiveness-driven recalibration, with the Commission, Paris, Berlin, Parliament and member states softening the 2035 car ban and delaying methane rules while adding an adaptation law.
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This week3 entries
State of playyesterday
Legal and Political Pressure
The EU Court of Justice dismissed all seven Polish actions against Fit for 55 acts on 12 November, with no appeal possible. Chancellor Friedrich Merz urges the Commission to finish ETS reform without weakening the carbon market and opposes further changes to ETS2, due to start in 2028.
COP31 and Target Gaps
COP31 opened on 9 November in Antalya as an "implementation COP". European leaders backed raising electricity's share of global energy use to 35% by 2035, while the EU keeps its 90% cut by 2040. Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra rejects pledges beyond the $300 billion a year goal by 2035. Net emissions fell 1.6% in 2025, about 39% below 1990 against a 55% target for 2030, and eight member states are judged off track.
Car Ban, Methane and Money
Parliament's environment committee backed an 87.5% car CO2 cut by 2035, with a plenary vote expected in December. Germany and France push a weaker target. EU ambassadors back delaying methane import duties to 1 January 2028, while Parliament voted for 2031.
Bloomberg reports the Commission is analysing a windfall energy-profit tax that Teresa Ribera said could fund adaptation. The December plenary vote on the car target is the next test.
What comes next
- in 6 daysUK-EU summit in Brussels, ETS link expected to be finalised
Open questions
- Will member states accept Parliament's 87.5% target, which goes further than the Franco-German 90%?
- Will the Market Stability Reserve increase to 700 million allowances be formally approved by both institutions?
Who is who8
EPP, S&D and Renew negotiators European Parliament centrist groups
Their compromise sets an 87.5% cut in new-car CO2 by 2035 against 2021, with up to 7.5 points creditable for EU-made low-carbon steel, and the environment committee backed it on 4 November.
12 Nov
Germany EU member state government
Agreed with France to seek a 90% CO2 cut for new cars in 2035 with no offsets, and is among eight states judged off track for 2030 targets.
11 Nov
France EU member state government
Agreed with Germany to soften the 2035 target while pushing for public support that favours EU-made vehicles.
22 Oct
European Commission EU executive
Proposed the Climate Resilience Law on 27 October and a one-year methane delay, and on 10 November reported a 1.6% fall in net EU emissions in 2025 and named eight states as off track for 2030.
11 Nov
Italy EU member state government
Had its gas-cost cap approved but its ETS requests declined, pressed for ETS2 delay, and is judged off track for 2030 targets.
12 Nov
European Parliament EU legislature
Voted 341-225 to delay methane import rules to 31 May 2031, and its environment committee backed a softer 2035 car CO2 compromise, with a plenary vote expected in December.
11 Nov
EU member state governments (Council) EU co-legislator
Backed on 6 November a one-year delay of methane import duties to 1 January 2028, with intensity reporting from August 2029 and limits from August 2031.
6 Nov
Poland EU member state government
Lost all seven actions against Fit for 55 acts at the EU Court of Justice on 12 November, with no appeal possible, and still contests ETS revenue plans.
12 Nov
Promises3
Germany, Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Swedenopen
The eight states judged off track for 2030 targets will submit corrective action plans to the Commission.
11 Nov · euobserver.com
European Commissionopen
Member states will have to complete national climate-risk assessments every five years from 2029 and resilience plans by end-2030 under the proposed Climate Resilience Law.
27 Oct · resilience plans by end-2030 · politico.eu
European Councilopen
EU leaders will update the assessment of ETS2 and review its design and safeguards for vulnerable households.
15 Oct · elpais.com
Chronicle340 entries since 26 May
9–15 November3 entries
The Court of Justice of the European Union dismissed Poland's seven actions against Fit for 55 acts on 12 November 2026. The rulings cannot be appealed, leaving the climate package's legal basis intact as Warsaw also contests ETS revenue plans.
The Commission identified Austria, Croatia, Cyprus, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Sweden as insufficiently advanced towards their 2030 targets, EUobserver reported on 11 November. Those governments are expected to submit corrective action plans.
The Commission's 2026 climate and carbon-market reporting, published on 10 November, shows EU net greenhouse-gas emissions fell 1.6% in 2025 versus 2024. ETS-covered emissions dropped about 2%, while ETS revenues rose 11% to €43.2 billion.
2–8 November2 entries
EU member states agreed on 6 November to postpone methane monitoring and reporting duties for oil, gas and coal imports to 1 January 2028, citing Middle East energy disruption. Intensity reporting moves to 5 August 2029 and maximum limits to 5 August 2031.
Parliament's environment committee voted on 4 November to replace the effective 100% fleet-emissions reduction target for 2035 with an 87.5% cut from 2021 levels, with 7.5 points creditable through EU-made low-carbon steel. A plenary vote is expected in December, then talks with member states.
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