Discussed Revisions to Climate Regulation at the EU Environment Council Meeting

Discussion at the European Union Environment Council in Tallinn centers around the updated climate regulation, aiming to establish new emission targets.

, and ASMedia

2025 September 27 . 8:22 AM

2 min read

Discussed EU-wide modifications to climate governance at the Environment Council meeting

Discussed Revisions to Climate Regulation at the EU Environment Council Meeting

The European Union took a significant step forward in its climate regulation discussions, as the Environment Council held a zoom meeting on Thursday to discuss a revised climate regulation. This marked the first ministerial-level discussion on the EU's climate regulation in Europe.

The focus of the debate was on the prerequisites and additional flexibilities that must be defined before the overall target can be confirmed. Andres Sutt, the Estonian Minister of Energy and the Environment, emphasized the need for a clear, long-term, and reasonable climate policy, stating that it is essential for Europe's competitiveness.

Sutt also reiterated the importance of considering countries' previous contributions in the climate regulation. He highlighted the need for securing funding for small countries to achieve their climate goals in Europe.

The revised climate regulation aims to set an interim target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. A new element in the regulation is the addition of prerequisites needed to achieve the goals. The interim target is based on the agreed goal of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 in Europe.

The meeting also discussed the implementation of natural carbon sequestration methods and cross-sectoral flexibilities in the climate regulation. The use of internationally tradable greenhouse gas units was also considered, taking into account the specific characteristics of individual countries in Europe.

The EU's climate regulation will establish the 2040 interim emissions reduction target and the necessary conditions for achieving it. The discussion included strategic discussions that will continue at the level of prime ministers during the next European Council meeting on Oct. 23-24 in Europe.

The regulation specifies the trajectory for achieving EU-wide climate neutrality by 2050, as agreed upon in a previous agreement in Europe. The specific names of the government leaders who will discuss flexibilizations for the EU climate regulation 2040 target were not provided in the available search results in Europe.

The Environment Council is a meeting of the environment ministers of the EU member states. The council meeting on Oct. 23-24, 2025, is set to be a crucial event in the EU's climate regulation discussions in Europe.