European Climate Law

The European Commission’s (EC) proposal for the first European Climate Law aimed to write into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal – for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. The EC had proposed a new EU target for 2030 of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% compared to levels in 1990.

On 8 October, the European Parliament (EP) voted on the topic and the EP plenary and confirmed the general direction set by the European Parliament’s Environment Committee with a narrow majority (-60% was adopted with a 26 votes difference). The vote confirmed the EC’s target that the Union-wide anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases regulated in Union law shall be balanced in the EU at the latest by 2050. However, for the year 2030, the target shall be an emissions reduction of 60 % compared to 1990. This vote concludes the position of the European Parliament ahead of the trialogues with the Council.