The upcoming autumn is expected to bring a flurry of policy activities in the climate, energy, and R&I sectors, following the full commencement of the European Parliament’s new term and the incoming College of Commissioners taking office on 1 November. The future of the EU’s competitiveness will be a central focus, further emphasised by the highly anticipated forthcoming report from Mario Draghi on the subject. Debates concerning the EU’s upcoming research framework programme are also expected to intensify while, on the climate front, the spotlight will shift towards implementing the European Green Deal, negotiating the EU’s 2040 climate target, and gearing up for COP29, which is scheduled to be held in Azerbaijan in November.

Regarding the European Parliament, it will hold its second plenary session of the new mandate from 16 to 19 September. In the lead-up to this plenary, during the initial weeks of September, Parliament committees will commence their meetings after having elected their Chairs at the end of July. Notably, the European Parliament committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) has formally appointed EPP Polish MEP Borys Budka as its Chair, along with four Vice-Chairs—two representing the Socialist group and the other two from the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) and Renew Europe. ITRE’s 90 members will include several energy and climate experts, such as Bruno Tobback, former Belgian Minister for Environment, and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin, ex-researcher on energy and climate at the Jacques Delors Institute and the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE). Notable MEPs, including German EPP Christian Ehler and Romanian S&D MEP Dan Nica, who played significant roles in Horizon Europe negotiations, are also returning to ITRE.

The new assembly of 720 MEPs will soon vote on the proposed College of Commissioners, with member states having until 30 August to nominate candidates. Bulgaria, which managed the research portfolio during the 2019-2024 term, has yet to present a nominee. Teresa Ribera, former Spanish Minister for Ecological Transition, is currently being considered for the climate or energy portfolio, although no official decision is expected before autumn.

Both the new European Commission and Parliament will address several critical issues related to climate, energy, and research in the coming months. This includes the report from the independent group advising the Commission on the interim evaluation of Horizon Europe and its successor, Framework Programme 10 (FP10), which is due on 16 October, following which the Commission is expected to publish its own interim evaluation of Horizon Europe early next year and to propose FP10 by mid-2025. The debate on the EU’s 2040 decarbonisation target will also be on the agenda, paving the way for new legislation aimed at achieving this goal and ultimately reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. However, although the European Commission proposed a 90% reduction in net greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990 levels last February, a final interinstitutional agreement is not anticipated before early 2025. Autumn will also bring the pivotal climate negotiations at COP29, taking place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November. By mid-October, the Council of the EU is expected to finalise its stance on the conference, with significant discussions on climate finance anticipated.