June 30^th, 2025 marks one year after the deadline for Member States to publish their final updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), outlining each country’s pathway to decarbonisation in line with the EU’s 2030 energy and climate objectives. They describe the energy and climate policies that countries have foreseen to reach their national targets. At time of writing, 25 out of the 27 Member States have published these documents. 

Spanning the period from 2021 to 2030, the Plans are meant to reflect an increased ambition in alignment with evolving geopolitical and strategic developments. They require increased ambition in transitioning away from fossil fuel-based energy to renewables as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. These Plans are meant to provide long-term investment predictability, boosting green investments and accelerating Europe’s efforts towards achieving 55% emission reductions by 2030 and reaching the net-zero emissions target by 2050. 

The final updated NECPs are meant to improve upon their draft updated versions following the European Commission’s assessment, which included specific recommendations for each Member State. This feedback was particularly justified for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), which, while key to decarbonising industrial activity, received limited attention from the majority of Member States. CCS is currently the only available and feasible technology that can effectively reduce process emissions in harder-to-abate industries that cannot otherwise be addressed through electrification, efficiency improvements or fuel switching. 

Building on the recommendations provided by the European Commission (EC), Bellona Europa has analysed the published NECPs against the 6 criteria.

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