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Around 50 European organisations representing transport, energy, consumers, and civil society have called on Member States to implement ETS2, the carbon trading system covering buildings and road transport, in 2028 without further delay.

In a joint letter sent on 06 October, signatories including BEUC, CER, ChargeUp Europe, Milence and Transport & Environment urge governments to begin using the first available revenues, notably through their Social Climate Plans. They also argue that any further reform of ETS2 should await the scheduled review in 2029.

The appeal comes as several Member States seek to reopen discussions on ETS2 within the ongoing review of the EU Emissions Trading System. Concerns had already been raised in a joint declaration submitted to the Commission in mid-July by ten Member States: Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

At the Environment Council meeting on 12 October, ten countries - Cyprus, Poland, Malta, Hungary, Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romania, Czechia and Italy - called for renewed discussions on ETS2. Some favour suspending the system, whose launch has already been postponed from 2027 to 2028. Italy and Czechia reiterated this position in a joint note prepared ahead of the meeting, following their earlier call on 29 September for the introduction of ETS2 to be reconsidered.

Speaking after the meeting, Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra made clear that the Commission does not intend to change either the design of ETS2 or its implementation timetable. While acknowledging the concerns raised, he stated that more than two-thirds of Member States continue to support the system.

However, only Denmark, Finland, Sweden and the Netherlands explicitly opposed reopening ETS2 during the meeting. These countries had previously expressed this position alongside Spain and Luxembourg. In France, transposition remains off the government’s legislative agenda, according to the office of Ecological Transition Minister Monique Barbut, following earlier indications that the government lacked a political window to proceed.

The September note from Italy and Czechia also calls for changes to the existing carbon market, ETS1. The two countries propose considering a temporary pause in the phase-out of free allowances for sectors covered by the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). They also seek adjustments to the Market Stability Reserve (MSR), including reducing or temporarily suspending the withdrawal of allowances from the market. In addition, they call for a review of the treatment of gas and nuclear energy under the EU taxonomy for sustainable investments.