The Commission has launched a 4-week call for evidence and a 12-week open public consultation gathering feedback to help shape the EU legislative framework for renewable energy for the next decade. As announced in the 2026 Commission Work Programme (COM/2025/870), the Commission plans to put forward a renewable energy framework for the next decade. It aims to keep Europe on track towards meeting its climate goals and secure Europe’s competitiveness, energy security and sustainability. This includes setting a post-2030 framework for renewable energy. With the legislative proposal scheduled for adoption by the end of the year, the input from this consultation will feed into the Commission’s preparations, including a dedicated impact assessment.
The renewable energy framework for the next decade will seek to secure reliable, affordable, homegrown energy for European citizens and industry, and ensure that renewables contribute to the achievement of the 2040 EU climate target in a cost-efficient and sustainable way. Whilst the share of renewables in the EU energy mix has doubled in the past 13 years reaching 25.2% in 2024, the achievement of the EU’s long-term objectives will require significant acceleration in the growth of renewables. It will also necessitate effective integration of renewables in the power sector, decarbonisation in all demand sectors, ranging from transport to heating and cooling and industry, and improved energy system integration across sectors, infrastructures and energy carriers.
The renewable energy framework will be developed in parallel with a new framework for energy efficiency (on which a consultation was also opened on 20 March) and together with the revision of the Governance Regulation (the consultation on which closed on 19 March 2026). The framework will build on the Clean Industrial Deal, the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the Electrification Action Plan and Heating and Cooling Strategy, among other initiatives.
The call for evidence is open until 16 April and the public consultation until 12 June 2026.
Background
First introduced in 2009, the Renewable Energy Directive establishes a framework and sets targets to increase the EU’s renewable energy use. To accelerate the clean energy transition, the Directive was revised in 2018 and again in 2023. The revised Directive sets a binding target of at least 42.5% renewable energy in the EU’s energy mix by 2030, with the ambition to reach 45%. It also strengthens the enabling framework for the deployment and integration of renewables, with a variety of measures, e.g. on improving financing and support schemes, advancing regional cooperation in renewables deployment, streamlining permitting procedures, enhancing efficiency of system integration and electrification, fostering decarbonisation of end-use sectors, supporting innovative technologies and fostering bioenergy sustainability.
