National energy and climate plans (NECPs)

To meet the EU’s energy and climate targets for 2030, EU Member States need to establish a 10-year national energy and climate plan (NECP) for the period from 2021 to 2030. The NECPs were introduced by the Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action (EU/2018/1999).

Areas covered by the energy and climate plans

The plans outline how the EU Member States intend to address

• energy efficiency
• renewables
• emissions reductions
• interconnections
• research and innovation

This approach requires a coordination of purpose across all government departments. It also provides a level of planning that will ease public and private investment. The fact that all EU Member States are using a similar template means that they can work together to make efficiency gains across borders.

Factsheet explaining the national energy and climate plans (June 2019)

Draft plans, recommendations, assessment reports and factsheets

According to the governance regulation, EU countries are required to

• develop integrated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) that cover the five dimensions of the energy union for the period 2021 to 2030 (and every following ten year period) based on a common template
• submit a draft NECP by 31 December 2018 and be ready to submit the final plans by 31 December 2019 to the European Commission
• report on the progress they make in implementing their NECPs every two years

The European Commission will monitor EU progress as a whole towards achieving these targets, notably as part of the energy union report.

To better develop and implement the plans, it is important that citizens, businesses and regional authorities are part of the process.

The Commission published a Communication assessing the 28 draft NECPs as a whole in June 2019, together with specific recommendations and a detailed "Staff Working Document" for each Member State, available in the table below. Thes Commission also published two detailed annexes on methodology and national forestry accounting plans.

*Courtesy translation provided by European Commission services

Documents

• Communication assessing the 28 draft NECPs  COM(2019) 285 final
• Accompanying annex to the communication: Methodology SWD(2019) 212 final
• Accompanying annex to the communication: Assessment of the national forestry accounting plans SWD(2019) 213 final
• Regulation on the governance of the energy union and climate action ((EU)2018/1999)
• Energy union factsheets for EU countries (2017)

Related links 

• Infographic: National energy and climate plans, European Council (November 2019)

• Energy union: Commission calls on Member States to step up ambition in plans to implement Paris agreement - Press release (18/06/2019)