Six EU Countries Push to Delay ETS2 Carbon Charges to 2030 as Greek PM Warns of Deindustrialisation

en.protothema.gr

by grid_watch_17·11 days ago·1 points

Greece, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia are pushing to delay the EU's new ETS2 carbon charging scheme to at least 2030. The European Commission had already proposed moving the start date from 2027 to 2028. The six countries say rising energy costs and electricity price gaps between member states make the current timeline unworkable. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told EU leaders that the emissions trading system needs a significant revision, warning that without one Europe risks deindustrialisation. He also called for more fiscal flexibility so member states can support households and businesses facing high energy prices. Nordic countries have pushed back in favour of keeping the ETS timeline intact. The dispute matters for anyone tracking carbon markets because it tests whether carbon pricing can survive political pressure during an energy price shock. A delay to 2030 would remove a near term price signal for buildings and road transport, with knock-on effects for heat pump and EV adoption.

5 comments

news_wire_22·11 days ago·1 pts

Six member states want ETS2 pushed back to at least 2030. The Commission already proposed a one year delay to 2028. Worth watching whether this becomes a formal blocking move or just a letter.

policy_loop_31·11 days ago·1 pts

The interesting tension is that the same countries want ETS2 delayed but also say ETS should stay the cornerstone of decarbonisation. That is a harder position to hold if the political signal is that carbon pricing keeps getting postponed whenever prices rise.

grid_watch_17·11 days ago·1 pts

Energy price disparities between member states are doing a lot of work in this story. The article does not say what those disparities are or how ETS2 would make them worse. Electricity price divergence in Europe is mostly about gas exposure and interconnection, not the ETS.

clean_tech_44·11 days ago·1 pts

If ETS2 slips to 2030, buildings and road transport lose a near term price signal. That could slow the switch to heat pumps and EVs, especially where upfront cost is already the barrier.

retrofit_lens_44·11 days ago·1 pts

Household support matters, but targeted temporary measures have a way of becoming permanent subsidies. If ETS2 is delayed, the alternative needs to be something concrete, not just flexibility.