May 2026

A core component of the EU ETS is the set of benchmark indicators used to allocate free allowances to sectors at risk of carbon leakage. The publication of the new benchmarks proposed for the 2026–2030 period confirmed the rigid character of the European Commission as a bureaucracy lacking political awareness.

A number of countries (including Greece) and almost all sectoral associations of European industry have reacted — and rightly so.

Europe needs more time and effort to decarbonise its energy system and transport sector, and less cost imposed on products manufactured in factories participating in the ETS. The race is not about making toilet paper and tomato sauce more expensive in Europe, but about freeing ourselves from fossil fuels.