The European Commission on July 17 presented its Electrification Action Plan, setting a nonbinding target to double the share of electricity in the bloc's final energy consumption to 46%, alongside an Emissions Trading System review that slows mandated emissions cuts and extends free permits for industry, a press release shows. Separately, the commission is set to recommend suspending methane-rule penalties for importers from 2027 to 2029, rejecting calls to reopen the regulation itself.

The proposals come amid a broader softening of EU climate policy in recent years, driven by growing attention to competitiveness and rising right-wing influence in Brussels, which has already diluted rules on combustion-engine cars, deforestation and corporate reporting. The energy price spikes linked to the Iran war gave the competitiveness argument further momentum, with member states and business lobbies demanding an Emissions Trading System overhaul to cut carbon costs for industry. The methane rules, meanwhile, came under attack from a majority of member states and the bloc's top liquefied natural gas suppliers, including the United States and Qatar, which warned the requirements threatened gas supplies.