Skip to main content

Achievements

  • Around 29 million citizens benefited from flood protection between 2014 and 2022, thanks to the interventions financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund.

  • The common agricultural policy supports carbon storage (carbon farming measures, peatland restoration, etc.) and contributes to the prevention and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Around 188 000 hectares of agricultural land were afforested by 2022 thanks to common agricultural policy support in the 2014-2022 period

  • With over 300 regional and local authorities committed to the cause, and 50 actively engaged in developing risk assessments, the Climate Adaptation mission financed under Horizon Europe is laying the groundwork for resilient communities in the face of climate challenges.

  • The ‘Renewable energy new electric skills’ project, financed under the European Social Fund+, addresses the need for new skills by creating training courses for electrotechnical roles. These courses cover key areas such as the installation of photovoltaic systems and the conversion of traditional vehicles to electric models. The project aims to equip local workforces with the skills needed to thrive in this evolving sector.

What do we do?

The fight against climate change is, by its very nature, a fight that transcends national boundaries. In order to achieve our climate goals, develop new clean technology, deploy the best solutions and drive our economies towards a more sustainable path, action at the EU level is essential. EU action can exploit significant economies of scale, pull together resources to reach critical mass and contribute to strengthening the EU in the international arena.

The EU budget makes a crucial contribution to the fight against climate change. Over the course of the 2021-2027 period, the EU is set to spend at least 30% of its budget on climate-relevant objectives.

Climate mainstreaming requires EU programmes in all policy areas to consider climate priorities in their design, implementation and evaluation phases. This approach was first adopted in the context of the 2014-2020 multiannual financial framework. In the context of the 2021-2027 budget, the Commission has further developed its approach to climate mainstreaming. All measures marked as relevant to the climate address one of the following objectives.

  • Adaptation. This involves finding solutions to and ensuring preparedness for the adverse effects of climate change, enhancing resilience, taking appropriate action to prevent or minimise the damage such effects can cause and taking advantage of any opportunities that may arise.
  • Mitigation. This refers to action that limits the magnitude of long-term climate change. Climate-change mitigation generally involves reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

The current climate mainstreaming architecture is set out in the staff working document on climate mainstreaming for 2021-2027. This architecture entails:

  • an overall climate spending target of 30%, supported by sectoral targets in relevant legislation;
  • embedding EU budget action in the European Green Deal policy framework by adopting the biodiversity strategy and the farm-to-fork strategy, which will impact the way programmes are designed;
  • enhancing the climate responsiveness of programmes and initiatives financed under the EU budget that do not directly tackle the climate challenge, through reinforced climate proofing and the application of the ‘do-no–harm’ principle;
  • a climate adjustment mechanism, which will enable the Commission to take compensatory action to address possible gaps in achieving the climate spending targets of individual EU spending programmes, by ensuring that the deficit is addressed either within the same programme in the subsequent years of its implementation or by other programmes, so that the overall 30% climate spending target for the EU budget can be achieved as planned.

How much do we spend?

Climate contribution in 2021 to 2027 (million EUR).
Source: European Commission.

For the 2021-2027 period, the EU budget – including NextGenerationEU – is projected to contribute EUR 658 billion to climate spending, representing 34.3% of the budget envelope, surpassing the initial target of 30%.

17 JUNE 2024
Climate overview 2024

Climate methodology

For the 2021–2027 multiannual financial framework, European Parliament and the Council agreed during the negotiations of the respective programmes in 2020 on the design of the climate methodology based on the EU coefficients (e.g. for the Recovery and Resilience Facility). The Commission summarised this methodology in the communication on the performance framework of the EU budget under the 2021-2022 multiannual financial framework, The methodology assigns three different coefficients (0%, 40% or 100%) based on a list of possible activities. The Commission has published a climate mainstreaming architecture staff working document, where it has outlined the principles of its methodology, including the integration of the ‘do no (significant) harm’ principle.

7 JUNE 2023
Climate Mainstreaming Architecture in the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework

The amounts above are calculated based on commitment appropriations as following:

  • For direct management, past years figures are taken directly from the financial system of the Commission (ABAC). This reflects the most updated data, including transfers and decommitments, in line with the European Court of Auditor recommendations. For future estimates, work programmes and historical values are taken into consideration.
  • For shared management, past and future figures are presented on the base of the Operational Programmes and CAP Strategic Plans agreed with the Member States, and updated according to the annual reports.
  • For indirect management, the figures are based on the existing targets and agreements with the implementing partners, as well as their annual reports.

Climate Adjustment Mechanism

To guarantee that the budget-wide 30% target will be reached, the Climate Adjustment Mechanism has been designed to function as a monitoring instrument.

The Climate Adjustment Mechanism entails the following:

  • The specification of sectoral targets underpinning the overall 30% budget-wide target. These targets have been included in articles of the legislation for programmes involving significant pre-programming (e.g. the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the common provisions regulation), to limit the risk of deviation.
  • Enhanced monitoring and reporting, through more in-depth tracking in the Commission’s financial information-technology system and a specific section in the programme performance statement for each individual spending programme taking stock of progress achieved in relation to the target for the respective programme.
  • A mechanism whereby the Commission will propose corrective action in line with the specific basic act provisions in case of deviations in the programming that could endanger the 30% target.

Horizon Europe, InvestEU Fund, CEF – Connecting Europe Facility, including Military Mobility, Regional Policy – European Regional and Development Fund and Cohesion Fund, CAP – common agricultural policy, EMFAF – European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund, JTM – Just Transition Mechanism, NDICI – Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe, IPA III – Pre-accession Assistance. 

Source: European Commission.

On the basis of available information, the EU budget is on track to fulfil both the overall 30% target and its sectoral targets. Each programme performance statement includes a dedicated section presenting the climate contribution for the programme, which specifies the action undertaken to ensure proper financing. This section will be updated every year on the basis of the most up-to-date data and information available and will explain any deviations from the expected performance and remedial plans.