Enlargement and EU Climate Policy

Scope and objectives

On 11 May 2026, 10:00-13:00 CEST, the EESC will hold a public hearing in the context of its own-initiative opinion on Enlargement and EU Climate Policy – Achieving the EU climate targets in a larger Union, building on the previous EESC opinion on the European Climate Law amendment. 

The hearing will bring together representatives from EU institutions, organised civil society and voices from candidate countries to gather input for the EESC’s opinion on enlargement and climate. 

In particular, the hearing aims to:

• Examine how enlargement would affect the pathway to the EU’s 2040 climate target and climate neutrality, including the opportunities for cost-effective emissions reductions in candidate countries.
• Assess the role that EU climate and pre-accession policies and regulatory alignment could play in accelerating decarbonisation in candidate countries.
• Discuss how civil society can contribute to a just and inclusive climate transition in the context of enlargement. 

🎬The event will be web streamed freely on our website. ✅ No registration required.

🔊Interpretation: EN, FR and ES.

Context 

The EU is entering a decisive phase in which climate ambition and EU enlargement are becoming structurally intertwined. The prospect of accession of enlargement candidate countries including Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, has profound implications for the EU’s decarbonisation process and climate governance. 

While the EU has reaffirmed its commitment to achieving climate neutrality and reducing GHG emissions by 90% by 2040, the implications of enlargement for emissions baselines, remaining emissions and pathways to 2040 have been largely overlooked in the EU climate debate. At the same time, it opens new opportunities for cost-effective emissions reduction notably through coal phase out, energy efficiency and modernisation and reconstruction of energy and industrial systems – particularly in Ukraine as part of the reconstruction. For candidate countries, aligning with EU climate and energy policies is a crucial step on the way towards full EU membership.  

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