Recital 45

(45) Further incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using cost-efficient techniques should be provided. To that end, the free allocation of emission allowances to stationary installations from 2026 onwards should be conditional on investments in techniques to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions, in particular for large energy users. The Commission should ensure that the application of that conditionality does not jeopardise a level playing field, environmental integrity or equal treatment of installations across the Union. The Commission should therefore, without prejudice to the rules applicable under Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (15), adopt delegated acts supplementing this Directive to address any issue identified in particular on the above-mentioned principles and provide for administratively simple rules for the application of the conditionality. Those rules should be part of the general rules on free allocation, using the established procedure for national implementing measures, and provide for timelines, for criteria for the recognition of implemented energy efficiency measures, as well as for alternative measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, incentives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be further reinforced for installations with high greenhouse gas emission intensities. To that end, from 2026 onwards, the free allocation of emission allowances to the 20 % stationary installations with the highest emission intensities under a given product benchmark should also be conditional on the setting-up and implementation of climate-neutrality plans.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-10-14 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.