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Policies and measures

Page Last modified 23 Nov 2020
2 min read
On this page, you will find the information on policies and measures introduced by European countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to achieve climate change and energy targets.

Information reported on policies and measures

In the EU, a ‘monitoring mechanism’ has been in place for two decades to monitor the annual greenhouse gas emissions in EU Member States, as well as the actions taken by these Member States to reduce their emissions. Iceland and Switzerland provided information on climate policies and measures as well. As a result, information on more than 2000 national climate change mitigation policies and measures can be explored in the EEA viewer on national policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe

 

The same information is available and can be downloaded using the EEA database on climate change mitigation policies and measures in Europe

 

 

The last mandatory reporting was in 2019 but 5 Member States updated information in 2020. The reported information (2019) is summarised in the briefing , ‘More national climate policies expected, but how effective are the existing ones?’ and analysed in the report, ‘Overview of reported national policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe in 2019’. 

 Detailed guidance on the EEA outputs on climate policies and measures can be found in the EEA navigation document ‘Navigation through the EEA outputs related to climate policies and measures reported in Europe’.

Supporting policy evaluation

Information reported by Member States on their climate policies is used to monitor climate action at a national level. It can also serve to assess and evaluate existing policies and to help inform decisions about new policies.

The briefing ‘Using Member States’ information on policies and measures to support policymaking: energy efficiency in buildings’  illustrates how databases on policies and measures can support policy evaluation by presenting the results of two case studies analysing policies and measures targeting energy efficiency in buildings.

Related content

 

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Interactive charts

Dashboard (Tableau) National policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe How many policies and measures (PaMs) did the European Member States implement or plan to implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? What type of policies, affecting which sectors have been primarily reported? Were the European Union policies driving the development of national policies? The European Environment Agency's viewer explores PaMs reported by Member States under the EU Monitoring Mechanism Regulation.
Dashboard (Tableau)
Archived
National policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe How many policies and measures (PaMs) did the European Member States implement or plan to implement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? What type of policies, affecting which sectors have been primarily reported? Were the European Union policies driving the development of national policies? The European Environment Agency's viewer explores PaMs reported by Member States under the EU Monitoring Mechanism Regulation.

News and articles

Related briefings

Briefing EU renewable electricity has reduced environmental pressures; targeted actions help further reduce impacts We need to invest in a green recovery to restart the economy. The European Green Deal puts climate change mitigation at the core of its efforts to recover sustainably from the COVID-19 crisis. Renewable electricity could increase to 70% of all power generation by 2030 to allow a net 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Despite multiple benefits for human health and the environment associated with the reduction in fossil fuel use for energy, increasing renewable power supply is not impact free. Concerns have been raised that renewable electricity could shift environmental burdens in ways that do not always lower overall pressures. This briefing investigates changes in the electricity mix since 2005, and their trade-offs from a life cycle perspective to help policymakers and individuals focus on areas that offer opportunities for improvement.
Briefing National action across all sectors needed to reach greenhouse gas Effort Sharing targets EU legislation on Effort Sharing covers emissions from a wide range of sectors, such as road transport, heating and cooling in residential and commercial buildings, agriculture and small industries. These sectors have significantly different emission drivers and reduction potentials. Reducing these emissions to meet national Effort Sharing targets requires a diversified and well-adapted policy mix at the national level. Having reported a large number of planned policies and measures under the Monitoring Mechanism Regulation in March 2019, EU Member States and the United Kingdom must now fully implement them to allow the EU to deliver on its decarbonisation objectives. This briefing provides an updated overview of sectoral trends, projections of greenhouse gas emissions, and planned policies and measures in the EU Effort Sharing sectors.
Briefing More national climate policies expected, but how effective are the existing ones? In 2019, EU Member States reported that they had already adopted or were planning to adopt 1925 national policies and corresponding measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve climate targets. Many of these measures also help achieve energy efficiency and renewable energy targets. While climate action is clearly taking place across Europe, EU Member States still provide insufficient evidence of the effectiveness and costs of their policies. This briefing presents an overview of the information on national policies and measures for climate change mitigation, reported in 2019 by Member States to the European Environment Agency (EEA) under the EU Monitoring Mechanism Regulation.
Briefing Using Member States' information on policies and measures to support policymaking: energy efficiency in buildings In line with EU legislation, Member States report information on their policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This information is used to monitor climate action at a national level. It is also important for supporting policy evaluation and informing policy decisions. This briefing presents the results of two case studies analysing policies and measures targeting energy efficiency in buildings.
Briefing Tracking climate policies in European Union countries Information reported to the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that more than 1 500 national policies and measures have either been adopted, implemented or are being planned in the European Union (EU) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve climate change and energy targets. However, quantitative evidence on the effectiveness and costs of these measures remains insufficiently reported. This briefing presents an overview of the main characteristics of these policies and measures, such as their status, main objectives, type and estimated effects. This information is also made available online by the EEA.

Related data

Data Member States' greenhouse gas (GHG) emission projections The Monitoring Mechanism Regulation ((EC) No 525/2013) requires Member States to report national projections of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Every two years, each EU Member State shall report GHG projections in a ‘with existing measures’ scenario for the years 2020, 2025, 2030 and 2035, by gas (or group of gases) and by sector. National projections shall take into consideration any policies and measures adopted at Union level. The reported data are quality checked by the EEA and its European Topic Centre for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy (ETC/CME).
Data Member States' greenhouse gas (GHG) emission projections The Monitoring Mechanism Regulation ((EC) No 525/2013) requires Member States to report national projections of anthropogenic GHG emissions. Every two years, each EU Member State shall report GHG projections in a ‘with existing measures’ scenario for the years 2020, 2025, 2030 and 2035, by gas (or group of gases) and by sector. National projections shall take into consideration any policies and measures adopted at Union level. The reported data are quality checked by the EEA and its European Topic Centre for Climate Change Mitigation and Energy (ETC/CME).

Related publications

Publication Tracking climate policies in European Union countries Information reported to the European Environment Agency (EEA) shows that more than 1 500 national policies and measures have either been adopted, implemented or are being planned in the European Union (EU) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and achieve climate change and energy targets. However, quantitative evidence on the effectiveness and costs of these measures remains insufficiently reported. This briefing presents an overview of the main characteristics of these policies and measures, such as their status, main objectives, type and estimated effects. This information is also made available online by the EEA.
Publication Using Member States information on policies and measures to support policymaking: energy efficiency in buildings In line with EU legislation, Member States report information on their policies and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This information is used to monitor climate action at a national level. It is also important for supporting policy evaluation and informing policy decisions. This briefing presents the results of two case studies analysing policies and measures targeting energy efficiency in buildings.
Publication National policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe in 2017 Technical overview of the information reported by Member States under the European Union's climate Monitoring Mechanism Regulation. The 2018 edition of the European Environment Agency (EEA) report National policies and measures on climate mitigation in Europe presents an overview of the information on 1 513 national policies and measures (PaMs) on climate change mitigation reported in 2017 by Member States under the European Union (EU)'s climate Monitoring Mechanism Regulation (MMR). It also takes stock of the progress made at national level to plan, adopt and implement new policies since the 2015 reporting exercise.
Publication Environment and climate policy evaluation The intended audience of this European Environment Agency (EEA) publication is the professional environmental evaluation community, that is, evaluators of European environment and climate policies, the EEA's networks and interested evaluation professionals, including those that are active in the European Environmental Evaluators Network (EEEN). The publication aims to facilitate a dialogue on policy evaluation, by clearly setting out the EEA's views on some of the challenges that evaluators encounter in the areas of environment and climate policy.
Publication Overview of reported national policies and measures on climate change mitigation in Europe in 2015 Information reported by Member States under the European Union Monitoring Mechanism Regulation. The report presents a synthesis of the information on climate change mitigation policies and measures (PaMs) reported in 2015 by EU Member States. It aims to provide an overview of the main characteristics of the PaMs implemented, adopted or planned by Member States, such as their objective, type, targeted sectors, entities responsible for their implementation, etc.

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For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate/national-policies-and-measures/policies-and-measures or scan the QR code.

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