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Addressing the upcoming Q4 2026 European Commission framework on phasing out fossil fuel subsidies requires balancing climate ambition with legal feasibility, as measures mandating direct subsidy removal touch national fiscal policy and require unanimous Council approval. Following a previous high-level paper, this discussion paper puts forward two options. As a highly ambitious benchmark, Option 1, the “Hard Deadline” approach, is proposed. It introduces a dedicated new regulation setting binding Union-wide phase-out timelines alongside targeted amendments to existing governance legislation. While providing maximum policy ambition and clarity, it carries a high risk of political gridlock due to the Council unanimity requirement. In

The COFFIS Observatory has released its assessment of the 2025 Netherlands Fossil Fuel Subsidy (FFS) Phase-out Plan. Evaluating the framework against the COFFIS Observatory methodology (v0.1p – Alpha), the assessment awards the Dutch plan an overall score of just 11 out of a possible 50 points. The report cites a critical lack of legal force, weak  timelines, and a complete absence of safeguards against  backtracking, raising concerns over the commitment of the current COFFIS chair. While the assessment notes that the Netherlands demonstrated transparency by publishing an accessible inventory in both Dutch and English, the core strategy remains highly unambitious. A

As governments convene in Santa Marta, Colombia, on April 24-29 for the first Conference on a Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels, civil society organizations call on the members of the Coalition on Phasing Out Fossil Fuel Incentives Including Subsidies (COFFIS) to honor their commitments and accelerate action on fossil fuel subsidy reform. Launched in November 2023, COFFIS aims to enhance transparency and collaboration to phase out subsidies that undermine climate goals and energy security. Despite pledges to publish annual subsidy inventories and phase-out plans, progress has stalled: only three governments submitted valid inventories in 2025, and just one has released

The urgency of transitioning away from fossil fuels has never been clearer. Our submission to the Presidency’s Roadmap consultation highlights the systemic barriers blocking progress: from entrenched political resistance and fossil fuel subsidies to technological gaps and global inequality. These challenges demand bold, coordinated action, including a Fossil Fuel Treaty and fossil fuel subsidy phase-out roadmaps. This submission reflects our earlier submission to the Santa Marta conference, which will take place at the end of April 2026. Click to download

As the EU refines its 2028-2034 financial framework, the application of the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle must urgently reflect the imperative to phase out fossil fuel subsidies. Our submission to the consultation underscores that fossil fuel subsidies are incompatible with the EU’s climate goals and the DNSH principle itself. We advocate for binding exclusions of such subsidies in the DNSH guidance, ensuring EU funds support only sustainable, future-proof solutions. While exemptions for crisis situations may be necessary, they must be strictly time-bound, transparent, and paired with investments in clean alternatives. Energy security cannot justify perpetual reliance on fossil fuels,