Green Deal CEE

In 2021, the EU presented its ‘Fit for 55’ package, a collection of guidelines and concrete measures to achieve the European Green Deal’s target: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030. A successful ‘Fit for 55’ legislative process requires the constructive approach and consent of Central and Eastern European (CEE) member states. While CEE governments in the past have been rather passive towards European climate ambition, alternative positions have made themselves heard throughout the region. To expand their impact and enable them to positively impact CEE countries’ stance on the European Green Deal, they need to engage more actively in climate policy processes on both national and EU levels.

Green Deal CEE; ©2022; Centre of Transport and Energy

The project team aimed to advance EU climate and energy policies on a national level in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia. To achieve this goal, it strengthened civil society organisations, NGOs, think tanks, business associations, academia, representatives of cities and of national, regional, and local authorities in their joint engagement around the European Green Deal. Through trainings, seminars, and joint publications, members of the target group were able to connect with each other and access relevant knowledge on social, economic, and ecological co-benefits of a fair energy transformation in CEE. This expertise enabled them to participate in national energy and climate plans revision processes and to contribute to ambitious implementation of climate and energy policies. The project team supported participation by reaching out to decision makers via letters, policy recommendations and by organising meetings and conferences. Making their perspective heard throughout policy processes, their positions had the potential to counteract currently dominant narratives on climate action, which focused predominantly on the costs of energy transformation.

• In Hungary, a broad variety of more than 60 stakeholders, including EU and national authorities and public administration, think tanks, business associations, and civil society, gathered to exchange opportunities and challenges, resulting in specific recommendations for national policies including energy efficiency, renewables, and community energy.
• Thanks to ongoing efforts of MTVSZ (National Society of Conservationists – Friends of the Earth Hungary) and its allies, the Hungarian NECP revision process included several rounds of NGO expert group consultation meetings. Similarly, in Czechia, a second round of public consultation of the draft NECP with a longer period for replies was conducted at the beginning of 2024 as a response to multiple recommendations submitted by CDE (Center for Transport and Energy) and its allies during the whole process. The exchange of best practices among various stakeholders at the regional workshop in Warsaw enabled the organizations to formulate such recommendations.
• A joint regional statement Central Eastern European General Principles for National Energy and Climate Plans Revision Process was developed in a collaboration led by CAN Europe. The document includes 9 main priorities formulated by CEE experts, including crucial content and process-related rules that the CEE governments should follow when revising their NECPs. The statement was also translated into Bulgarian and Polish, and used by partners in Slovakia for meetings with decision makers.