Recommendations on the
National Energy and Climate Plan
Recommendations from advisory councils
At the request of the government, the federal and regional advisory councils have jointly worked out a substantive advice on the draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) – before the launch of the public inquiry:
Joint opinion of the Federal Council for Sustainable Development (FRDO-CFDD), the Central Economic Council (CRB-CCE), the Social and Economic Council of Flanders (SERV), the Environment and Nature Council of Flanders (Minaraad), the Economic, Social and Environmental Council of Wallonia (CESE), the Economic and Social Council of the Brussels-Capital Region (CESRBC) and the Environment Council of the Brussels-Capital Region (CERBC) on the draft National Energy and Climate Plan 2030 (NECP). Available in Dutch and French.
Recommendations of the European Commission
On 18 June 2019, the European Commission published its recommendations on the draft National Energy and Climate Plans covering the period 2021-2030 (NECPs), including on the NECP for our country.
In its assessment report the Commission asks Belgium, among others, to:
Complement the information on the policies and measures needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for sectors not covered by the EU emissions trading system (especially the building and transport sectors) by 35% in 2030 compared to 2005;
Significantly raise the level of ambition for 2030 to produce renewable energy (to at least 25%) and provide detailed and quantified information on the proposed measures;
Increase the energy efficiency ambition by reducing final energy consumption and underpin the proposed measures by a more detailed set of information and an impact assessment;
Identify the measures supporting energy security (energy supply) through diversification and less energy dependency, including measures ensuring flexibility and optimal use of energy interconnectivity;
Further clarify national objectives and funding targets in research, innovation and competitiveness and underpin them with adequate policies and measures;
Intensify the already excellent regional cooperation within the Pentalateral Energy Forum (cross-border cooperation);
Provide more quantitative information on investment needs to achieve the objectives;
Provide a list of all energy subsidies, including in particular fossil fuels subsidies, and actions undertaken to phase them out;
Complement the analysis of the interactions with air quality policy;
Better integrate just and fair transition aspects.
More information:
The recommendations of the European Commission on the Belgian NECP
An accompanying more detailed assessment (Commission Staff Working Document)