Published on
29/05/2026 - 18:08 GMT+2
Four European Union countries are urging the European Commission to rethink part of its planned carbon market reforms, warning that some industries could face serious competitive pressure under stricter emissions rules due to take effect between 2026 and 2030, according to a document seen by Euronews.
At stake is the bloc's carbon market, the Emissions Trading System (ETS), which requires heavy industry companies to pay for the carbon pollution associated with their emissions. The Commission will soon revise its major climate policy tool, which has suffered repeated attacks from several EU countries and industry due to soaring electricity prices and loss of competitiveness vis-a-vis China and the US.
In the document, Estonia, France, Germany and Spain warn that the European Commission’s proposed new method for calculating free carbon permits could force companies to cut emissions faster than many industries can realistically manage.
