Coming to Agreement on Climate Neutrality: Council Negotiations Towards the European Climate Law and Fit for 55 Package

In passing the European Climate Law and unveiling the Fit for 55 package, the EU has signaled its commitment to the climate objectives of the European Green Deal. By making the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 legally binding, the EU may have broken from the incrementalism that has characterized previous climate policy developments. This paper focuses on the Council of the European Union, which has historically delayed or diluted climate ambition. We ask the research question: how have negotiations between ministers sitting in the Council allowed for the passage of the European Climate Law and roll-out of the Fit for 55 Package of proposals? To answer this question, we conduct a narrative analysis on data collected from 20 semi-structured interviews with policymakers in Brussels. We find that the east/west member state divide on climate policy may have become less pronounced as a result of a combination of external processes and events and internal institutional features of the Council itself. External factors contributing to member state support of enhanced ambition include: the Commission’s development of policy mixes, pressure felt by member states through policy monitoring, and geopolitical events/natural disasters increasing a sense of urgency. Internal structures of the Council which have facilitated effective climate decision-making are: strong rotating presidencies, qualified majority voting (QMV) on climate matters, informal alliances made between member states depending on the dossier, and diplomatic horse-trading. This study therefore demonstrates the complexity of closing the east/west divide on climate policy in the Council and the fragility of staying the course on raising targets further.