Links to my in-depth articles:
🔸Towards a decarbonised energy system in a larger EU www.cer.eu/insights/tow...
🔸The EU Emissions Trading System in a larger EU www.cer.eu/insights/eu-...
🔸Summary op-ed: www.cer.eu/in-the-press...

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... and on liberalisation of the energy market, security of supply & renewable energy & energy efficiency. bsky.app/profile/cent...

In these articles, I also assessed progress of candidate countries in key areas of EU climate and energy policy: on carbon pricing... bsky.app/profile/cent...

Instead, the EU should support gradually rising national carbon prices as stepping stones toward ETS membership. More in my insight 👇
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The carbon-intensive energy mix in EU neighbours also presents a challenge for the EU ETS. Integrating EU candidates into the ETS at once could be disruptive.

A larger, more integrated energy union serves everyone's interests: interconnected European electricity markets = lower average prices + enhanced energy security. More in my full article 👇
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Investing in clean energy infrastructure in neighbouring countries and improving grid connections can
▶️deliver a larger supply of affordable clean electricity ▶️help candidate countries leapfrog to decarbonised energy systems.

But candidate countries also have ample renewable energy potential: solar capacity potential in these regions exceeds the EU average.

EU candidate countries have more carbon-intensive economies than current EU members.
> Their combined emissions from sectors covered by the EU ETS equal 15% of the current EU emissions cap.
> Most rely heavily on coal for electricity generation 👇 bsky.app/profile/cent...

How can the EU expand while maintaining its climate ambitions? It should turn potential climate liabilities into assets, going for a gradual integration of candidate countries into the EU energy market and in the EU ETS.⚡🏭

But some balancing acts were not credible:
> claim resistance to US pressure on EU regulations, while slashing regulations that were heralded as fundamental just a few years back?
> rightly condemn dependence on RU fossil fuels as a liability, while promising a surge in imports of US fossil fuels?

On industrial policy, VDL announced an upcoming Industrial Accelerator Act, but we'll need to see what that entails.

She also stuck to the phase-out of internal combustion engines -- not a give, as that was sure to irk some of her allies (yes, EPP head Manfred Weber still does not seem willing to reckon that EVs taking over the car market is not only desirable but also inevitable)

On the positive (and concrete) side, VDL showed her commitment to strengthening the European grid through 'energy highways'.