Commission holds a high-level stakeholder roundtable on the EU ETS review

On 12 May 2026, the European Commission's hosted a high-level stakeholder roundtable on the review of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), bringing together close to 60 representatives from a wide range of industry, aviation and maritime sectors covered by the EU ETS, as well as civil society organisations and other relevant stakeholders such as auction platforms and market analysts.

The Roundtable gathered input on the policy priorities for the upcoming review of the EU ETS and the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) for the 2031-2040 period, as well as on the enabling conditions needed to make decarbonisation a driver of EU competitiveness and resilience. The Roundtable complements the public consultation on the evaluation and the review of the EU Emissions Trading System and the Market Stability Reserve conducted in 2025. It also took into account the interim developments on the evaluation and review process, geopolitical events and guidance from the March 2026 European Council and the 2040 target amendment to the European Climate Law.

Key takeaways

There was broad support from a wide range of stakeholders to progress on the path towards decarbonisation. The EU ETS plays a central role as a rule-based, market-based, single market-based and technologically neutral instrument, but needs to be accompanied with the right enabling conditions and policy consistency across interlinked areas.

While stakeholders addressed a variety of policy priorities to be addressed in the EU ETS review, clear common priorities were making the ETS an even stronger engine for investments, aligning ambition with the EU's 2040 and 2050 climate targets, safeguarding investment predictability through a rules-based and stable system, and the continued importance of effective carbon and investment leakage protection.

Finally, stakeholders highlighted some key enabling conditions beyond the EU ETS to make decarbonisation a driver of EU competitiveness and security.

First, EU companies need affordable energy and access to infrastructure. A second driver is the creation of lead markets for low-carbon products and solutions. Thirdly, access to finance, where the Capital Markets Union will be just as essential as ETS. Fourth, circularity of materials and of CO2. Fifth, economic security, protecting against unfair competition. Finally, simplification remains a horizontal enabler, for example in the context of permitting. In this context too, the Clean Industrial Deal underlines the importance of a more predictable and business-friendly framework for Europe's industrial transition. The ETS, as a market-based instrument can contribute to avoiding additional regulation.

The Commission is determined to use the revision of the EU ETS to create an even stronger engine for investment and innovation in Europe. Our objective with the Roundtable was to hear directly from stakeholders and better understand the wide-ranging expectations around the EU ETS review. This feedback will be taken into careful consideration in the preparation of the Commission's proposals, currently scheduled for 15 July.

Background

Building on the March 2026 European Council Conclusions, President von der Leyen announced the initiative to organise a high-level stakeholder event on the development of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) review, which is central to Europe's competitiveness and decarbonisation, driving investment, innovation, and clean industrial growth.

The Roundtable complements the open public consultation on the evaluation and the review of the EU Emissions Trading System and the Market Stability Reserve conducted in 2025, in view of the interim developments on the evaluation and review process, geopolitical events and guidance from the March 2026 European Council and the 2040 target amendment to the European Climate Law.

Event recording

Click here to watch back the high-level stakeholder roundtable.

Participating organisations

European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA)

Agora Energiewende

Airlines 4 Europe

ArcelorMittal Europe

Aerospace, Security and Defence industry (ASD)

Bellona

Bruegel

Business for CBAM Coalition

BusinessEurope

CAN Europe

Carbon Management Europe

Carbon Market Watch

CarbonGap

European Chemical Industry Council (Cefic)

Eurelectric

Cement Europe

Confederation of European Paper Industries (Cepi)

Cerame-Unie

Confederation of European Waste-to-Energy Plants (CEWEP)

CleanTech for Europe

CO2 Value Europe

Concito

Corporate Leaders Group

Ecocem

European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA)

European Energy Exchange (EEX)

Engie

European Roundtable on Climate Change and Sustainable Transition (ERCST)

European Round Table for Industry (ERT)

European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO)

European Alliance to Save Energy (EUASE)

European Lime Association (EuLA)

European Steel Association (Eurofer)

European Aluminium

European Metals

Fertilizers Europe

FuelsEurope

Futerro SA

Glass Alliance Europe

Heidelberg Materials

Holcim

Holmen

Hydnum Steel

Hydrogen Europe

Iberdrola

ICIS

Indaver

International Emissions Trading Association (IETA)

International Federation of Industrial Energy Consumers (IFIEC)

IndustriAll

Lufthansa

LyondellBasell

AP Moller-Maersk

PGE Europe

Recycling Europe

Ryanair

SolarPowerEurope

Transport & Environment (T&E)

Veyt

Wienerberger

WindEurope

ZeroWasteEurope

Documents

EU ETS Review 2026 - High-Level Roundtable Presentation (DG CLIMA)

Details