The EU SET Plan

The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan), adopted by the European Union in 2008, aims to support the EU in reaching its 2030 and 2050 climate neutrality goals, along with boosting Europe’s position as a leader in the areas of clean energy and energy efficiency technologies on a global level.

set planThe SET Plan is Europe’s technology response to the pressing challenges of meeting its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy and energy efficiency over the coming decades.

Crucially, it is a key stepping stone in the enhancement of the European transition towards a climate-neutral energy system through the timely, sustainable, and cost-competitive development of low-carbon technologies.

In Europe, this policy instrument has become the main framework for establishing synergies between national and European R&I priorities and funding in which the SET Plan boosts cooperation among EU countries, companies, and research institutions through:

  • the coordination of national R&I activities in developing low-carbon energy among EU countries and associated countries
  • the alignment of national R&I programmes with its own agenda

The European Energy Research Alliance (EERA) was created in parallel to the launch of the SET Plan to better align the research and development activities of individual research organisations with the needs of the SET Plan priorities and to establish a joint programming framework at the EU level. Overall, EERA acts as the research pillar within the SET Plan framework.

The Plan is further supported by the SET Plan Information System (SETIS) and the European Technology and Innovation Platforms (ETIPs).

On 20 October 2023, the European Commission adopted a Communication on the Revision of the SET Plan with the aim of bringing the original SET Plan strategic objectives in line with the European Green Deal and REPowerEU, along with the Green Deal Industrial Plan, primarily in this case the Net-Zero Industry Act. It also seeks to ensure a unified approach when it comes to both reaching Europe’s decarbonisation goals and boosting European strategic net-zero energy technologies. Further aims of the revised Communication include strengthening the political status of the Plan, widening its technological scope, and creating comprehensive cross-cutting task forces.

In this Communication, the role of EERA is further stated, by asserting that it will complement the work of the Clean Energy Transition Partnership by the work of its Joint Programmes linking research institutes and academia throughout EU members states and associated countries.

For an audiovisual explanation of the SET Plan, watch here.

SET Plan implementation progress reports:

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  • SET Plan progress report 2024
    Published on the occasion of the 2024 Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET Plan) conference in Budapest, Hungary, this report highlights the SET Plan’s role in coordinating EU and national research and innovation (R&I) agendas for the development and deployment of efficient and cost-competitive clean energy technologies to drive Europe’s green and digital transition.
  • SET Plan progress report 2023
    The main aim of the 2023 SET Plan Progress Report is to give a concise overview of the SET Plan landscape through the lens of its actors and their main activities. The report also provides an overview of the current policy drivers, the Communication on the revision of the SET Plan, and the cross-sectoral issues for which new task forces will be formed.

  • SET Plan progress report 2022
    The 2022 SET Plan Progress Report supports the ‘revamp’ by bringing together the views of stakeholders on possible ways forward for the SET Plan.

  • SET Plan progress report 2021
    The 2021 SET Plan Progress Report assesses the developments of the SET Plan through highlighting the implementation and key achievements for the year 2020-2021.