The European Semester is at the heart of the coordination of public policies carried out by the Member States. As such, it could serve as a key instrument for the monitoring and implementation of the European Green Deal, and more broadly for the implementation of climate and environmental objectives. However, it has been criticised for the nature of the recommendations it produces and the way in which these are followed up in practice. In 2019, the European Commission has stated its ambition to extend the themes of the European Semester to include climate and social issues. While the initiatives undertaken since then are welcome, they lack ambition and do not allow the climate and ecological crisis to be taken into account in a comprehensive way.

This note explores the various avenues of reform to make the European Semester an effective coordination tool, serving environmental protection and climate action as much as the European economy.

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