Enlargement and EU Climate Policy – Achieving the EU Climate Targets in a larger union

Practical information

1. Composition of the study group
2. Administrator / Assistant in charge: Caroline Verhelst / Luca Pitrone
3. Contact

Background

This own‑initiative opinion examines how future EU enlargement will affect the Union’s ability to meet its 2040 climate target and climate‑neutrality objective. 

Enlargement will raise total EU emissions but also offers an opportunity to accelerate the green transition in candidate countries by integrating them early into the EU’s climate and energy framework. 

The opinion calls for clarity on how a larger EU should calculate the 90% reduction target, reinforced pre‑accession support for climate alignment, and careful consideration of complementary tools such as high‑integrity international carbon credits. 

Its aim is to ensure that enlargement becomes a driver of climate ambition, supporting a coherent, fair and effective decarbonisation pathway for a bigger Union.