The European Commission has put forward a series of legislative proposals to make its policies fit for delivering the updated 2030 greenhouse gas emissions net reduction target of 55% below 1990 levels, as set out in the 2030 Climate Target Plan and written into the European Climate Law.

The Fit for 55 legislative proposals cover a wide range of policy areas including climate, energy, transport and taxation, setting out the ways in which the Commission will reach its updated 2030 target in real terms.

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Climate Action is responsible for the following proposals:

• Increasing the ambition of the EU Emissions Trading System
• Strengthening the Market Stability Reserve linked to the review of the EU Emissions Trading System
• Revision of the EU Emission Trading System Directive concerning aviation
• Revision of the EU Emission Trading System Directive concerning aviation (ICAO notification)
• Updating Member State emissions reduction targets (Effort Sharing Regulation) in line with the 2030 climate target plan
• Land Use, Forestry and Agriculture
• Revision of the CO₂ emission performance standards for new passenger cars and vans
• Social Climate Fund

• Reduce net EU greenhouse gas emissions to 55% below 1990 levels by 2030
• Contribute to the European Green Deal objective of EU-wide climate neutrality by 2050
• Stimulate the creation of green jobs and maintain the EU’s record of cutting greenhouse gas emissions while growing its economy
• Ensure that the transition is fair and leaves no-one behind

The proposals represent the legislative tools to deliver on the updated 2030 targets agreed by the European Parliament and European Council and communicated to the UNFCCC as the EU’s contribution to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Achieving these emission reductions in the next decade is crucial to setting Europe on a balanced pathway to the long-term goal of being the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050.

The proposals will support a steep reduction in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade by:

• increasing the ambition of the existing EU ETS
• making necessary adjustments to the Market Stability Reserve
• extending the EU ETS to the maritime sector and implement CORSIA for aviation
• establishing a new ETS to cover emissions from fuels used in buildings and road transport
• increasing Member State emission reduction targets in a fair and cost-effective way
• introducing new, more ambitious EU fleet-wide CO₂ emission targets for new cars and vans from 2030 onwards
• reforming the Regulation on Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry
• protecting and expanding Europe’s forests

The Directorate-General for Climate Action conducted extensive analysis and stakeholder consultation in its preparation of the four proposals.

In October 2020, it published inception impact assessments, followed in November 2020 by four open public consultations.

The feedback received was taken into account during the preparation of the proposals ahead of Commission adoption of the Fit for 55 package in July 2021.

For more information on the stakeholder process, visit the Better Regulation portal.

The legislative proposals will be transmitted to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions for further consideration under the ordinary legislative procedure.

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