ECNO provides an independent check on EU climate governance and the EU's own monitoring framework. For example, by assessing National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of Member States in regards to their transparency and internal consistency or by analysing the policy context of the building blocks tracked in the annual ECNO progress report.
The newest progress report, launched on 02 July, evaluated the policy context of each building block. This creates a bridge between the quantitative assessment based on historical data and likely developments in the near future, in which recent policy decisions may advance the transition further – or not.
The EU legislative cycle of 2019 to 2024 saw a whole range of relevant policies proposed and adopted as part of the European Green Deal (EUGD) that can be expected to positively impact the sectoral and cross-sectoral transition. The Fit for 55 legislative package is expected to drive significant improvements on GHG emission reductions upon progressive implementation across Member States.
In a briefing published in March 2025, ECNO analysed the final updates NECPs of 22 EU Member States.
National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) represent an opportunity for EU Member States to chart their next steps on the road to a net-zero economy by 2050.
The analysis revealed substantial gaps that put reaching the EU 2030 targets at risk.
In this briefing, ECNO reviews the Commission's first ever progress report on climate neutrality and proposes concrete next steps for setting up a monitoring system that is fit for purpose.
In its report, the Commission acknowledged the lack of depth in its current progress monitoring. Not checking the development of enabling conditions for the transition creates the risk that policymakers do not receive sufficiently actionable information to intervene where needed. The existing reporting system already delivers relevant information, but scattered across multiple reports.