European Commission demands corrective climate plans from Cyprus and eight other EU states

The European Commission has announced that it will require Cyprus, along with eight other member states, to submit a corrective action plan within three months to accelerate emission reduction measures. This decision follows the 2026 Climate Action Progress Report, which indicates that Cyprus is failing to meet its mandatory targets under the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR).

According to the Commission's assessment, Cyprus, Croatia, and Italy are projected to exceed their emission limits for the 2021-2025 compliance period, even after utilizing available ESR flexibilities. Furthermore, for the 2026-2030 period, Cyprus joins a larger group of countries, including Austria, Germany, Ireland, Lithuania, Malta, and Sweden, that are expected to miss their targets. Although the European Union as a whole has a projected surplus of approximately 140 million emission permits, the Commission noted that no bilateral transfers of these permits between member states have been reported to date.

Consequently, the Commission has mandated that the nine identified nations must develop and submit national corrective plans to ensure future compliance with EU climate regulations. These steps are necessary to address the insufficient progress toward collective climate goals.