The General Court of the European Union has decided today to annul the European Commission’s decision not to raise objections to the aid scheme establishing a ‘capacity market’ in the United Kingdom. The ruling puts into question many capacity mechanisms in place across Europe, including the Polish capacity market which

The European Parliament has called today in its plenary session for a larger long-term EU budget than that proposed by the European Commission. They also ask for the share of the EU’s budget dedicated to climate action to increase from 25% to 30%.

Today, the Luxembourg NGOs -ASTM, Greenpeace, Mouvement Ecologique and natur&ëmwelt- together with Wemove.eu and Climate Action Network Europe, showed their support to the families and young people who are suing the European institutions for their failure to adequately prevent harmful climate impacts by delivering a petition to the plaintiffs of

As negotiations on the EU’s new electricity market enter their crucial trialogue phase, the bloc faces a litmus test for the credibility of its climate ambition. With only two trialogues left, the fate of coal subsidies is still not sealed while COP24 is approaching, writes Joanna Flisowska.

Today at an Economic and Financial Affairs Council, EU ministers discussed their commitments to international climate finance ahead of the climate summit in Katowice (COP 24).

The European Commission claims that the next EU budget should tackle common challenges, including climate change. But unless the EU climate-proofs the entire EU budget, it will continue to prop up fossil gas and contribute to global warming. The ‘EU Toxic Funding Awards’, launched today, unveil the worst EU funding

The real price we all pay for Turkey’s coal is too high, shows CAN Europe’s new study “The Real Costs of Coal: Muğla”. The research is a case study on one of the country’s oldest coal power infrastructures with numerous lignite mines and three coal-fired power plants in Muğla city.

Ahead of ECOFIN Council of 6 November, this letter calls on EU ministers to adopt an ambitious position on climate finance at the UNFCCC COP24.

Preliminary estimates published today in the European Environment Agency (EEA)’s annual ‘trends and projections’ assessments show a 0.6% emissions increase in 2017 from 2016. IPCC scientists have made a call for bold and faster climate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C, and the EU must wake up now.

In today’s vote on the European Parliament’s position on December’s COP24 climate summit, MEPs called for increasing the EU’s 2030 climate target to a 55 percent emission cuts compared to 1990 levels. This would bring European efforts closer to what is required for keeping temperature rise below 1.5oC, in line

In response to the landmark IPCC report on global warming of 1.5°C published last week, 28 EU Heads of State and Government have called upon all countries of the world to commit, at the upcoming COP24 climate summit in Poland, to review the levels of ambition of their Paris Agreement

Ahead of the trilogue meeting on the Electricity Market Regulation on 18 October 2018, 31 networks and organisations representing citizens from across Europe urge EU ministers to ensure that capacity mechanisms remain a last resort solution and that they no longer subsidise the burning of fossil fuels, coal in particular.

Despite their unprofitability and their harmful impacts on our climate, environment and health, coal power plants still receive massive public subsidies. This is why more than 115,000 Europeans have signed the petition “Let’s move beyond coal!” to call on EU leaders to stop pouring taxpayers’ money into coal through so-called

This open letter, signed by 101 organisations and sent today to EU ministers of European and Foreign Affairs ahead of the General Affairs Council meeting of 16 October, demands a dramatic improvement of climate action spending in the future EU budget.

Ahead of the General Affairs Council meeting on 16 October, business associations, think tanks and civil society urge EU ministers to align the next future EU budget with the Paris Agreement and the UN development goals.

15 EU environment ministers called today for increasing the EU’s climate target to limit warming to 1.5°C. The other ministers did not support such a commitment, turning their backs on the landmark IPCC report published yesterday.

The plaintiffs of the People’s Climate Case published an open letter to the EU Environment Ministers gathering today to discuss the EU climate policies; Their message is simple: The impacts happening to us, as the result of a mere 1C of average temperature increase, is already more than what we

In a draft long-term EU climate strategy leaked by the media today, the European Commission proposes three options for the EU’s long-term target: 80% emission reductions by 2050, reaching net zero emissions by 2070 and reaching net zero emissions by 2050. None of these targets reflect the urgency of action to

On June 14th 2018, the European Commission (DG DEVCO and ECHO) and the European External Action Services (EEAS) launched their proposed Regulation for external action funding in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.

On June 14th 2018, the European Commission (DG DEVCO and ECHO) and the European External Action Services (EEAS) launched their proposed Regulation for external action funding in the next EU Multiannual Financial Framework.

One day ahead of the EU Environment Ministers meeting expected to adopt the EU’s position for the upcoming UN Climate Summit COP24, the world’s leading body of climate scientists gave strong scientific evidence for the need to keep temperature rise to 1.5°C. The new IPCC report, ordered and endorsed by

CAN Europe members agreed by consensus to regard the Paris Agreement’s goal to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C as the only acceptable goal for all policy making and planning aimed at averting dangerous climate change.

A unique coalition of businesses, associations, investor groups, local and regional authorities, and civil society organisations have called upon EU Environment Ministers to step up Europe’s climate commitments.

CAN Europe, has applied to the European General Court to intervene in the People’s Climate Case – a case in which families and youth have challenged the EU in order to protect their fundamental rights from  the insufficiency of the EU’s 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target. Through this intervention,

Polish utility Enea gave today the green light to build the new coal power plant ‘Ostrołęka C’, despite the unprofitability of the project and protests of environmental groups. Poland plans to use capacity mechanisms to make up for the projected economic loss, a stunning example of why reformed EU capacity

Today, CAN Europe, has applied to the European General Court to intervene in the People’s Climate Case – a case in which families and youth have challenged the EU in order to protect their fundamental rights from the insufficiency of the EU’s 2030 greenhouse gas emission reduction target. Through this

During a General Affairs Council meeting today, EU ministers exchanged their views on the long term EU budget for the period 2021-2027. While they focussed on the size of future EU funding in view of traditional policies such as the Common Agricultural Policy and Cohesion Policy and of new priorities

Reacting to the State of the European Union speech given by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker today, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:

Tomorrow’s State of the European Union address is a perfect opportunity for European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to reveal the progress so far in the development of the new EU long-term climate strategy. Stating his support for reducing emissions to net zero at the latest by 2050 and keeping temperature

This policy paper identifies the main shortcomings of the current proposals regarding the next long term EU budget for the period 2021-2027 (Multiannual Financial Framework) and makes recommendations to ensure that the EU budget becomes fully climate-friendly.

Ahead of the next trilogue on the Electricity Market Design on 11 September, France, UK, Italy, Greece, Hungary, Ireland and Poland have just issued joint comments on the new rules regarding capacity mechanisms, which stand in stark contradiction to their commitment to fully implement the Paris Agreement.

In May 2018 families from Portugal, Germany, France, Italy, Romania, Kenya, Fiji and the Swedish Saami Youth Association Sáminuorra sued the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union for the inadequate climate target for 2030. The lawsuit claims that the Union’s climate target fails to protect their human

In a statement released today the EU and China reaffirm their unequivocal commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement and establish a closer partnership on climate action and the clean energy transition.

The EU’s current Adaptation Strategy was launched in 2013 with the intention to scale up the European Union’s resilience to the growing impacts of climate change that it is facing.

In November 2016, the European Commission, as part of the ‘Clean Energy for all Europeans’ package, published a set of four legislative documents that were meant to set out the structures and rules of a more integrated future energy market, the so-called market design files.

MEDIA ADVISORY The Polish grid operator PSE conducted the general certification procedure earlier this week, thereby prequalifying electricity producers for capacity mechanism payments. The certification is an obligatory first step and conclusions sum up how much and what kind of capacities can take part in the bidding process for the

Member States gathering yesterday at the European Council discussed the next Multiannual Financial Framework, which sets out EU’s spending priorities after 2020. While they committed to reach a deal as soon as possible, they remained silent on how to make the long term EU budget fit for the Paris Agreement.

Paris-proof coalition expands and pushes for much more climate action Environment Ministers of Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom meeting in Luxembourg today have called upon the EU to make significant further efforts to fight climate change, over and above

The high-profile Ministerial on Climate Action (MoCA), taking place on 20-21 June in Brussels and co-convened by the EU, China and Canada is one of the most important moments for global climate diplomacy this year. The three hosts, together with ministers representing more than 30 other major powers, are expected

The EU and China have to live up to their responsibilities on climate change and use every opportunity to support the Western Balkans and Turkey to move beyond coal. This means renewable energy sources and energy efficiency, not new coal, argue Elif Gündüzyeli and Igor Kalaba.

After reaching yesterday a deal on the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED), early this morning the European Parliament, Council and Commission agreed also on the new Governance Regulation for the period 2021-2030. Like the 2030 renewable energy target, the agreed 2030 target for energy efficiency of 32,5% and the agreed rules

The vast majority of European countries are missing the mark and failing to increase our chances of achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Too few of them are advocating for ambitious climate and energy targets and policies, and too many are lagging behind in reducing carbon emissions at the

The aim of this publication is to examine which EU Member States are willing to increase their climate action and tackle the gap between the goals of the Paris Agreement and current greenhouse gas emission reduction efforts in the EU.

The European Commission published today its proposal for financing international development and neighbourhood cooperation after 2020. The proposed instrument falls short of meeting the climate finance needs of the EU’s partner countries, while failing to guarantee that EU financing for international action is fully climate proof and compatible with the

The European Parliament, Council and Commission have reached a final agreement on the Renewable Energy Directive for the period 2021-2030. The EU agreed to increase its 2030 renewable energy target, but the level of ambition of the revised directive still falls way short of what is needed to comply with

Today a unique gathering of businesses, investor groups, local and regional authorities, and civil society groups, standing together as the Coalition for Higher Ambition, are calling upon EU leaders to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon Europe and thus limit climate impacts and allow for improvements to public health, greater

A unique coalition of businesses, associations, investor groups, local and regional authorities, and civil society organisations have called upon EU Heads of State and Government to step up Europe’s climate commitments.

Today, EU energy ministers gathered in Luxembourg to discuss the state of play of the revision of three key files of the Clean Energy Package: the Energy Efficiency Directive, the Renewable Energy Directive and the Governance Regulation.

The Paris Agreement calls upon all its signatories to communicate “long term low greenhouse gas emissions development strategies” by 2020, which is the same deadline for when countries will have to re-submit their short term climate targets (NDCs).

MEDIA ADVISORY Today and tomorrow the leaders of the world’s most industrialised countries will meet at the G7 summit hosted by Canada. The summit is expected to discuss a range of global issues and it will be an important moment to signal stronger climate action, despite the “stress test” imposed

The European Commission published today its legislative proposals on EU’s main infrastructure investment funds for the period after 2020: InvestEU and Connecting Europe Facility (1). The regulations recognise the low-carbon energy transition as an important objective, but miss out on fundamental pillars for success: ensuring sufficient climate action funding and

EU countries must step up to implement gender-responsive climate change policies, says a group of civil society organizations on the occasion of the European Development Days and World Environment Day.

Today, the European Parliament, Council and Commission negotiated the revision of the Renewable Energy Directive for the period after 2020. The proposal by the Council to set a 30-31% or 32-33% renewable energy target for 2030, which will be assessed by MEPs over the next week, falls well short of

The European Commission published today its legislative proposals on Cohesion Policy post 2020 (1). The draft regulations recognise the low-carbon energy transition as an important objective that Cohesion Policy should serve.

Families from Europe and outside are taking the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union to the European General Court for allowing high level of emissions until 2030 and failing to protect the citizens with the existing inadequate 2030 climate target.

Recent commitments to increase EU funds for climate action are at risk of being weakened, according to a leaked draft of the European Commission’s regulation on the European Regional Development Fund and on the Cohesion Fund (1).

EU Member States are, through the new ‘Governance of the Energy Union Regulation’, required to develop ten year Integrated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs).  With the word ‘integrated’, the NECPs present a new regime in EU Climate and Energy Policy making. The European Union’s credibility in the international climate policy arena

This briefing describes the main element of the EC proposal for the EU budget 2021-2027, also called Multiannual Financial Framework, assesses its climate performance and develops recommendations for the upcoming legislative proposals.

Late 2017, the European Commission established specific Investment Windows of the Guarantee fund in the European External Investment Plan. This will be the channel through which investments on specific issues and themes will be made. Together with NGOs, CAN Europe has developed and provided analysis and recommendations to the EU on

Today the European Commission has published its proposal for the post-2020 EU budget, kicking off the political battle over the rules and priorities that will govern EU spending in the period 2021-2027. The Commission has chosen climate action to be one of the top priorities for future EU funding.

In April 2018, CAN Europe member Act Alliance EU has published a report about EU climate finance. The report provides an analysis of climate finance reporting and accounting practice. It also documents how EU institutions, as well as EU member states, allocate their climate support to developing countries. The picture

Ministers in charge of climate change of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Portugal and Luxembourg meeting in Paris today have called for ensuring that the EU’s climate policies are in line with the Paris Agreement. For that reason, they recognized the need to develop a long term EU climate

Portugal wins gold in the 2018 European Fossil Fuel Subsidies Awards, the second edition of a unique contest organised by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe. The winners are governments who waste taxpayers’ money on supporting dirty energy. Poland comes second and Spain third.

During a Council meeting on General Affairs today (1), EU ministers exchanged their views on the spending priorities of the Cohesion Policy after 2020, the EU’s key funding instrument for infrastructure projects all over Europe.

The UNFCCC Talanoa Dialogue opens this year a crucially important window of opportunity to galvanise global urgent action on climate change that must not be wasted. In this paper CAN Europe outlines our recommendations for the European Union for the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue. CAN Europe TD briefing 3 questions.pdf

MEDIA ADVISORY At the upcoming Informal Environment Council on 10-11 April in Bulgaria, EU Ministers of Environment are expected to flesh out the bloc’s contribution to the UN Talanoa Dialogue – a Fijian word meaning an inclusive dialogue. The Talanoa Dialogue is an important international conversation which aims to help

This report shows that energy intensive industry sectors have been among the slowest in the European Union (EU) to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and invest in solutions to decarbonise and maintain technological leadership.

Energy intensive industries in Europe, such as steel or cement companies, still pocket huge amounts of public money while doing too little to reduce emissions, a report entitled “European Fat Cats”* published by Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe today shows.

The co-signatories of this letter represent a broad group of business associations, civil society, think tanks and other organisations who are working together to bring strong support to the EU’s commitment to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement objectives.    They have written to the President

Brussels, 05 April 2018 Today, a broad group comprised of business associations, civil society, think tanks and other organisations have urged the President of the European Commission, through a joint open letter, to make the future EU budget fully compatible with the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development goals. On 2

Brussels 29.3.2018 Dear Minister for Environment, At the upcoming Informal Environment Council on 10-11 April in Sofia you have been invited to discuss the European Union’s contribution towards the international climate negotiations and in particular towards the UNFCCC Talanoa Dialogue.

Last week, EU leaders sent a clear message to the European Commission to ramp up its work to implement the Paris Agreement and accelerate the ongoing transition away from fossil fuels, writes Wendel Trio.

The UNFCCC Talanoa Dialogue opens this year a crucially important window of opportunity to galvanise global urgent action on climate change that must not be wasted. In this paper CAN Europe outlines our recommendations for the European Union for the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue. CAN Europe briefing on the EU and

Today, EU leaders gathered at a European summit on sustainable finance. They recognised the important role the EU budget should play in tackling climate change and boosting the clean energy transition.

EU Heads of State and Government meeting in Brussels on 22-23 March have called upon the European Commission to urgently develop a draft of a new EU long-term climate strategy. The strategy needs to be ready by early 2019 and clearly lay out what the Paris Agreement commitments mean for

Subject: 80+ organizations ask EU-Parliament to stop support for fossil fuels Dear Member of the European Parliament, We are writing to you concerning an infrastructure priority list (list of Projects of Common Interest). An objection to the current form of the list will be voted in the next Plenary Session

Members of the European Parliament today adopted their priorities for the EU budget after 2020*. The position recognises the importance of the EU budget in the fight against climate change, and in the transition towards zero-carbon and climate-resilient economies.

In January this year, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) of the United States unanimously rejected proposals by the Trump administration that would have allowed coal subsidies under the guise of energy “resilience”. This is exactly the principle that should now guide EU legislators, writes Joanna Flisowska.

The EU’s current Adaptation Strategy was launched in 2013 with the intention to scale up the European Union’s resilience to the growing impacts of climate change that it is facing. The Strategy is the first attempt to set out EU-wide adaption and climate resilience and it sets a solid precedence

EU environment ministers gathered in Brussels today at an Environment Council. On this occasion, 14 EU environment and climate ministers who are members of the Green Growth Group released a statement calling for more climate spending and mainstreaming in the future EU budget.

The negotiations on the review of the Renewable Energy Directive (RED) enter the final stretch today, with representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission meeting for the first informal ‘trialogue’ to negotiate an agreement on the new law.

The EU Platform for Coal Regions in Transition was launched by the European Commission in December last year to support Member States and regions as they shift away from coal towards renewable energy, in order to “leave no region behind”. The platform holds its first stakeholders meetings today and tomorrow

Today EU leaders discussed the future EU budget after 2020 at an informal European Council meeting.

Today the European Parliament’s leading committee on the future EU budget agreed on EU spending priorities for the period 2021-2027. MEPs put future EU funding one step closer to delivering on the EU’s climate action commitments, sending an important signal to EU leaders ahead of an informal European Council which

The negotiations on the review of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) enter the final stretch today, with representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission meeting for the first informal ‘trialogue’ to negotiate an agreement on the new law.

Today the European Parliament’s industry and energy committee (ITRE) adopted its position on the laws to redesign the EU’s electricity market.

The negotiations of the EU’s Energy Union Governance regulation enter the final stretch today, with representatives of the European Parliament, the Council of Ministers and the European Commission meeting for the first informal ‘trialogue’ to negotiate an agreement on the new law which should create a framework for the zero-carbon

The EU budget can serve the achievement of 2030 climate and energy targets in line with the Paris Agreement.

Contrary to its own proposal to curb power subsidies with an emissions limit, the European Commission has approved the Polish capacity mechanism that will allow the country to subsidise coal-fired power plants for decades to come. This will severely undermine the EU’s ability to implement the Paris Agreement.

Today the European Parliament adopted its position on three legislative proposals under the Clean Energy Package, namely the revisions of the Renewable Energy Directive and the Energy Efficiency Directive, and the new Governance Regulation, which will guide the EU’s zero-carbon transition in the coming decade and beyond. MEPs raised the

Today EU Energy Ministers have adopted their positions on four legislative proposals under the Clean Energy Package, which will guide the EU’s energy transition in the coming decade and beyond. Turning their backs on the Paris Agreement, the ministers opted for a feeble renewable energy target, lax rules for ensuring

EU governments must step back from irreparably weakening Europe’s biggest climate law, six of Europe’s leading environmental NGOs have said, after talks between member states and the European Parliament ended in deadlock this week. 

Statement on behalf of Climate Action Network Europe, Carbon Market Watch, European Environmental Bureau, Sandbag, Transport & Environment, and WWF European Policy Office. EU governments must step back from irreparably weakening Europe’s biggest climate law, six of Europe’s leading environmental NGOs have said, after talks between member states and the