European Commission takes Poland to court over climate plan failure

The European Commission has filed a lawsuit against Poland at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for failing to meet its legal obligation to submit a final, updated version of its National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP).

According to a statement released by the Commission’s press service, the decision was made because Warsaw did not comply with Regulation (EU) 2018/1999, which governs the management of the Energy Union and climate action.

“The European Commission has decided to refer the case against Poland to the Court of Justice of the European Union for failure to fulfil the obligation to submit a final updated integrated National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP),” the Commission said in its statement.

Under this regulation, all EU member states were required to provide their final updated NECPs by June 30, 2024, incorporating the Commission’s recommendations and individual assessments. These plans are essential for achieving the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets.

Poland had submitted its draft NECP, and in April 2024, the Commission issued its assessment of the draft, recommending that Poland strengthen its targets to align more closely with the bloc’s climate objectives.

However, after Poland failed to deliver the final version, the Commission opened a pre-infringement dialogue with Warsaw in July 2024 in an attempt to resolve the issue amicably. When this process did not lead to progress, Brussels formally launched an infringement procedure in November 2024, sending a notice of violation to the Polish government.

As Poland still has not submitted its final updated NECP, the European Commission now considers the country to be in breach of EU law and has therefore decided to refer the matter to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

By Tamilla Hasanova