It has been a busy week for EU energy and climate. Monday, the Energy Council discussed the Russian energy phase-out and the upcoming Electrification Action Plan. Tuesday, the Environment Council prepared the EU’s position for COP30 and how the EU budget can aid in reaching environmental goals, while Thursday, EU leaders tackled competitiveness and the 2040 climate target.
Safe to say: between Brussels and Luxembourg, Europe’s energy and climate folk have barely had a moment to breathe.
Today we catch up: what happened, what’s in motion and what do we need to look out for? Let’s go day by day.
Monday: Russian gas out, electrons in
On Monday, Energy Ministers met in Luxembourg under the Danish Presidency of the Council of the EU 2025 to debate the future of European energy. Two themes dominated: the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels and the electrification of Europe’s economy.
On the gas front, Ministers backed a permanent ban on Russian imports by 1 January 2028, while stressing the need for safeguards to protect supply stability. The Council vote passed with only two countries – Hungary and Slovakia – opposing, who cited infrastructure constraints and market price concerns.
The broader consensus was, however, clear: energy security must now mean independence from coercive suppliers. That means liquid natural gas (LNG) access, regional coordination and crucially, ramping up supply and use of clean domestic electricity; all things we have been pushing for in our energy security flagship.
On electrification, Ministers also agreed: it’s no longer a climate ‘nice-to-have’; it’s a strategic imperative. Eurelectric’s high-level letter from last week, co-signed by Eurelectric’s President, Markus Rauramo and Secretary General, Kristian Ruby , helped frame this message ahead of the meeting.
The good news is the letter landed. Discussions strongly echoed our asks, be it faster rollout of clean generation and storage, improved permitting and administrative processes, or support mechanisms like the Industrial Decarbonisation Bank.
We were also very glad to hear Oxford Professor Jan Rosenow open the session by highlighting that 78% of industrial energy use is already electrifiable, rising to 90% by 2035. He further emphasised that these barriers are not technical, but structural: high upfront costs, limited grid access, supply chain bottlenecks and workforce gaps.
Tuesday: COP30 and the climate finance fight
At Tuesday’s Environment Council, attention shifted to COP30 preparations and how the next EU budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework – or MFF – can support environmental goals.
Ministers finally approved the EU’s negotiating mandate for COP30, which starts in a little more than two weeks in Brazil. The conclusions reaffirm the bloc’s 1.5ºC goal, call to triple renewables, double energy efficiency and mobilise more climate finance, especially from a broader range of contributors.
The role of international carbon credits remained a sticking point. While some countries see these as cost-effective tools for hard-to-abate sectors, others fear that they will weaken domestic efforts and make them more opaque.
But beyond COP, the Council also looked at the MFF Though not yet finalised, several countries raised alarms that the current design, with its shift toward defence and competitiveness, risks sidelining nature restoration and biodiversity.
Thursday: EUCO and the 2040 tightrope
By Thursday, all eyes turned to Brussels as EU Heads of State or Government met for a high-stakes European Council (EUCO) focused on competitiveness and climate.
What emerged was a carefully worded set of Council conclusions; just vague enough to keep everyone on board, just concrete enough to avoid a blow-up and with just enough compromise to leave everyone equally unhappy.
The 2040 climate target? Still hanging. The conclusions did not endorse the Commission’s proposed 90% net emissions reduction. Instead, they laid out conditions for future approval: a fast-tracked review of the clean-car mandate, a generic revision clause for the overall climate target architecture and a commitment to reassess the implementation of Emission’s Trading System on heating and transport (ETS2), “including all relevant aspects.”
For climate-forward countries like Spain and the Nordics, this outcome was the best-case scenario: no rollbacks, no inflammatory language and no derailment of the broader Green Deal. For more green sceptical Member States, the inclusion of review clauses and language about future flexibility provided just enough political cover to claim a win. Poland’s Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, even suggested the ETS2 revision might allow for delaying or blocking its entry into force in 2027.
A key moment came from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whose letter to leaders ahead of the summit was seen by many diplomats as the turning point. By signaling a willingness to revisit parts of the climate framework, she helped broker a “no-drama” deal that sidestepped open confrontation.
“I believe that today’s meeting, together with Ursula von der Leyen’s recent letter, have helped create the right conditions for a 2040 EU climate target to now be decided in the Council.” said European Council president António Costa after the day long negotiation.
Yet questions remain. Will these conclusions offer enough clarity for Environment Ministers to formally adopt the 2040 target at their 4 November meeting and finalise the linked 2035 plan required under the Paris Agreement?
Either way, what’s clear is this: climate and competitiveness are now inseparable and the real negotiations are just beginning.
Eurelectric’s week was no less busy
With the week as busy as it’s been, Eurelectric nonetheless made time to table three new position papers that respond directly to the barriers discussed above:
- Electrification Action Plan: Five targeted recommendations to unlock electrification across industry and ensure the upcoming Action Plan drives demand, investment, and system flexibility.
- Industrial Decarbonisation Bank: A call to expand the pilot phase and mobilise €100 billion in financing to support large-scale electrification and de-risk industrial investments.
- Tripartite Agreements for Affordable Energy: A new cooperation model between governments, industry and consumers to fast-track clean electrification while keeping prices predictable and fair.
Together, these proposals offer a roadmap to accelerate decarbonisation and ensure that Europe’s clean transition is not only ambitious, but also affordable, investable and resilient.
What should we expect from the next weeks?
If this week was about detangling some of the EU’s most complex energy and climate files, the next few weeks will be about moving them forward.
Trilogues on the Russian gas phase-out will now begin, with institutions negotiating the final shape of the regulation. Meanwhile, the Environment Council is expected to hold a pivotal vote on the 2040 climate target in early November – a decision that will shape Europe’s position heading into COP30. Ministers may be able to travel to Belém with a clear mandate, but the real challenge lies in turning that ambition into tangible outcomes.
Looking further ahead, the Commission has committed to publishing two major frameworks: the Grids Package by the end of 2025 and the Electrification Action Plan in the first quarter of 2026. Both will be critical to delivering on Europe’s decarbonisation goals, and Eurelectric will remain closely engaged to ensure they reflect the sector’s needs.
While MFF negotiations will stretch into 2026, one thing is already clear: policymakers cannot afford to lose momentum. With investor confidence on the line and climate deadlines looming, the focus must now shift from discussion to delivery.
This blog post was originally published as part of Eurelectric’s LinkedIn Friday Features. Subscribe here to stay updated and never miss an edition.
Disclaimer: This article is for communication purposes only and may not reflect Eurelectric positions. Any positions taken in this article shall not be attributable to Eurelectric’s official positioning. Official Eurelectric positions are reflected only in position papers published here.