Established in 2006, the Energy Community Treaty is an international agreement between the EU and 9 neighbouring countries, or contracting parties, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine. The Treaty aims to promote closer integration, cooperation and alignment with ambitious energy, environmental and climate policies. The Treaty also extends parts of the European Union’s internal energy and climate policies to the countries, supporting their efforts on the path to accession.
At COP29 in Baku, signatories of the Treaty held a ministerial roundtable to discuss how they can converge further on climate and energy measures, advance decarbonisation efforts and take coordinated action to reach our global climate goals.
The event was organised by the European Commission, represented by Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson and Deputy Director-General Jan Dusík of the European Commission’s DG Climate Action. They opened the meeting by underlining the EU’s firm commitment to reaching climate neutrality by 2050 and shared an update on Commission’s proposal for a net -90% emissions reduction target by 2040. Jan Dusík stressed the importance of carbon pricing as an effective instrument for emissions reduction, noting that the EU’s carbon pricing policies serve as both a regulatory and financial pathway toward decarbonisation.
Representatives from contracting parties gave updates on the progress they have made with decarbonising their economies to reach their 2030 energy and climate targets, which are binding under the Treaty. In her concluding remarks, Commissioner Simson thanked the ministers for their engagement and encouraged those countries that have not yet done so to submit their National Energy and Climate Plans, which detail the measures they plan to take to achieve shared energy and climate targets. She reiterated the Commission’s readiness to assist with technical and financial support, key to tapping renewable energy potential and increase energy efficiency. Commissioner Simson also underlined the importance of a cohesive, integrated European energy market aligned with the 2050 climate neutrality vision within the Energy Community.
*This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.
