Climate policy integration: evidence on coherence in EU policies

Abstract

In order to successfully tackle the challenge of limiting climate change it has to be recognised that climate policy is a crosssectoral issue and needs to be firmly integrated in general and sector-specific policy areas that frame economic activity and societal development. Experience however shows that there is a divide between the need of addressing climate policy as cross-sectoral issue and short-term policy decisions that imply a low hierarchical rank for climate policy versus other policy areas. Still a big step is necessary, to depart from climate policy as add-on policy area towards comprehensive integration. This paper addresses the topic of climate policy integration. We focus on horizontal policy integration at the EU level with respect to general strategic policy papers, energy policy and the EU's Multi-annual Financial Framework. Our qualitative appraisal confirms that while there is a high general commitment to climate change action on EU level, evidence on climate policy integration into specific policies analysed in this paper is not clear cut: While recent energy policy documents generally refer to climate change as a central motivation, the EU budget does not mention climate change as a budgetary priority. On the strategic level, the relationship of energy policy and climate policy is partly synergetic (e.g., the objective of a sustainable energy system) and partly conflicting (e.g., the emphasis on fossil fuels in order to ensure energy security). Specific energy policy documents generally reinforce climate policy targets. Climate policy integration is not reflected in the EU budget: no explicit resources are dedicated to climate change issues in the Multi-annual Financial Framework; in cohesion funding to which a significant part of the EU budget accrues climate-friendliness of the proposed projects is also no funding criterion. Quite the contrary, a large portion of cohesion funding is allocated to investment in road transport entailing adverse effects for climate policy. Please refer to: Anaela.KoeDDl@wifo.ac.at 2012/168/S/WIFO project no: 2809 © 2012 Austrian Institute of Economic Research, Climate Strategies Medieninhaber (Verleger), Herausgeber und Hersteller: Osterreichisches Institut fur Wirtschaftsforschung, 1030 Wien, Arsenal, Objekt 20 • Tel. (+43 1) 798 26 01 -0 • Fax (+43 1) 798 93 86 • http://www.wifo.ac.at/ • Veriagsund Herstellungsort: Wien Vertcaufspreis: 30,00 € • Kostenloser Download: httt>://www,wifo.ac.at/wwa/pubid/44537 1 Motivation 1 2 Concepts and approaches to climate policy integration 3 3 EU climate policy integration: Basic Strategic EU documents 8 1.I Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 8 3.2 Europe 2020 A strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth 9 4 EU Climate Policy Integration: Specific thematic documents 11 4.1 Energy policy 11 4.1.1 Strategic energy policy documents 11 4.1.2 Specific policy documents 15 4.1.3 Identification of synergies and conflicts 24 4.2 EU Climate Policy Integration: The Multi-annual Financial Framework 27 4.2.1 The EU's Multi-annual Financial Framework '. 27 4.2.2 EU Cohesion Funding 30 4.2.3 Identification of synergies and conflicts 33 5 Assessment of climate policy integration and conclusions 35 References 36