Effective Implementation of NECPs in CEE 

CEE countries have been particularly affected by the energy crisis since the start of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine. This is mainly due to their historical dependence on fossil fuels and delays in pursuing a low-carbon transition. To overcome these challenges and accelerate their transition processes, CEE countries require analytical and policy tools to deeply transform their NECPs. These plans have lacked ambitious decarbonisation goals, which has resulted in a strong misalignment with EU targets and policies and hampered the delivery of the European Green Deal. 

The project assists Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland and Romania in strengthening their NECPs’ effectiveness and promoting their alignment with the European Green Deal’s aim to make the continent climate-neutral by 2050. It creates momentum for further developing the NECPs. 

Comparative assessments based on data-driven tools such as the Energy and Climate Security Risk Index are conducted for the NECPs and the energy and climate security risks in the four countries. They identify gaps and weaknesses in policies and strategies, and their results serve as a basis for reassessing the NECPs. 

The project facilitates national policy dialogues, where national and local policy makers and civil society and private sector representatives exchange ideas, know-how and examples of good practice regarding a low-carbon transition. International cooperation includes a high-level political exchange of good practices and the development of regional synergies and collaboration to pave the way for cross-border structural changes.  

The assessments and the policy dialogues particularly address the issues of energy poverty and the social impacts of decarbonisation to ensure that the four countries’ energy transition is socially just and inclusive. 

A communication campaign is carried out to make policy makers and the public aware of the NECPs’ shortcomings, the energy and climate challenges and potential policy solutions.