Belgium will not be able to submit its National Energy and Climate Plan (NEKP) to the European Commission on May 12th, even though the Commission’s new deadline expires then.
According to the cabinet of federal Climate Minister Jean-Luc Crucke (Les Engagés), the delay is due to Flanders. Belgium is now committed to submitting the plan to the Commission before the summer recess, with a deadline of July 21st.
No legal proceedings yet
“The European Commission indicated that it will not initiate legal proceedings before the Court of Justice of the European Union as long as a credible timetable is respected and transparent communication on progress is guaranteed,” Crucke’s spokesperson says.
The final national plans, which describe how member states plan to contribute to the 2030 climate and energy targets, were originally due June 30, 2024. Last November, the Commission launched infringement proceedings against Belgium and called Belgium to order again in March, with an additional two months to get the homework done, but that appears insufficient.
Flanders lagging behind
By 2030, the EU must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990. To achieve that, Belgium must reduce emissions from buildings and sectors such as transport and agriculture by 47%—the first version of the plan achieved only 42.6%, and the Commission thus shot down the proposal.
According to the office of Flemish Climate Minister Melissa Depraetere (Vooruit), “there is a delay because the previous Flemish government never made a plan. The current Minister is working on it. There will be a plan this summer.”
The Flemish Energy and Climate Agency (Veka) recently calculated that with current plans, Flanders will barely achieve a 33.7% phase-out by 2030. The new Flemish coalition agreement states that Flanders first aims for 40% and then the 47% demanded by Europe, once that first cape has been rounded.
Besides Belgium, Poland and Estonia have not yet completed their climate plans.
