The ‘Fit for 55’ Package: Towards a More Integrated Climate Framework in the EU

Abstract

The European Union (EU) is determined to become the world’s first climate-neutral economy by 2050. The European Green Deal (EGD) is a comprehensive policy framework, intended to lead the EU towards this goal. The European Climate Law is the first legal initiative to implement the EGD. It makes climate neutrality a legally binding target, whilst also setting a mandatory goal of reducing emissions by 55% in 2030. To achieve the 2030 mitigation objective, the ‘Fit for 55’ legislative package includes proposals to revise the targets, scopes, and structures of all existing legal acts in the current 2030 climate and energy policy framework. It also contains proposals for new complementary legal instruments. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the evolving legal framework with the aim of assessing its potential to accelerate the green transition in the European Union and reinforce the EU’s climate legal architecture.

Keywords

• european climate law
• climate neutrality
• 2030 target
• 55% emissions reduction
• fit for 55 legislative package