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European Academies Science Advisory Council

EASAC

EASAC - the European Academies Science Advisory Council - is a network of the national science academies of the EU Member States, Switzerland, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Koen Dillen (Head of Unit Agriculture and Rural Development)

15 Dec 2025 · Presentation of EASAC’s policy report on meat alternatives

Meeting with Dan Jørgensen (Commissioner) and

28 Nov 2025 · Energy security and integration of the EU energy system

Meeting with Ciaran Mullooly (Member of the European Parliament)

4 Sept 2025 · Launch Event of New EASAC Report on Meat Alternatives

Response to European grid package

21 Jul 2025

Europes national academies of science work through EASAC to produce independent science-based advice on policies for maximising security, sustainability and affordability of Europes energy supplies. This work confirms the need to increase the capacity and flexibility of electricity transmission and distribution grids, and to replace fossil fuels with sustainable energy supplies. It also highlights the benefits of reducing and decarbonising energy use in buildings, industry and transport. EASAC reports are freely available https://easac.eu/programmes/energy/publications. EUROPES ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS UNDER ATTACK. It must be defended against physical, geopolitical, and cyberattacks that cause EU energy prices to be too high and volatile. EUROPE IS TOO DEPENDENT ON FOSSIL FUEL IMPORTS. It must transition away from fossil fuels and diversify its energy supplies to improve energy security, reduce the growing costs of climate damage, and help EU manufacturing industries to compete in global markets. LOW-COST RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY GENERATING SYSTEMS are being deployed more quickly than can be managed securely in EU grids. Grid capacity and flexibility must be increased and grids stress-tested / proven to run resiliently with high levels of variable renewable generation so all users can buy low priced renewable electricity with low risks of supply interruptions and blackouts. PERMITS FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS are being requested more quickly than national permitting teams can process. More permitting staff and training are needed together with simpler permitting processes. ENERGY EFFICIENCY FIRST AND A MORE CIRCULAR ECONOMY would reduce energy demand and the funding needed for grid strengthening. This opportunity should be better explained and more strongly supported at EU and national levels. EMBODIED CARBON EMISSIONS caused by grid strengthening projects must be minimised. Demand response and market instruments typically improve grid flexibility with less embodied carbon emissions than storage. DEMAND RESPONSE with time-of-use tariffs, smart switching, and smart metering would reduce the need for grid strengthening by reducing peak demands and by matching demands with supplies without reducing the energy services provided. VOLTAGE AND FREQUENCY STABILISATION devices should be added to the grid where solar and wind generators replace thermal power generators (with rotating machinery that offers inherent stabilisation). RESOURCE ADEQUACY ASSESSMENT methodologies at European, regional, national and local levels should include contributions from across borders and sector integration, as well as potential impacts of malicious attacks, cyberattacks, and climate change (extreme temperatures, longer dunkelflauten, and reduced water supplies). CAPACITY MECHANISMS can secure sufficient backup generation to meet growing electricity demands with high penetrations of variable renewable electricity generation and growing climate change impacts (extreme temperatures, longer dunkelflauten, and reduced water supplies). ENERGY SECURITY BENEFITS of grid strengthening include less dependence on fossil fuel imports, less volatile energy prices, and less supply interruptions. Wider benefits include reduced climate damage and health costs due to lower GHG emissions, and value creation in Europe through local production of technologies and fuels. FAIR TRANSITION can be facilitated by grid strengthening in which vulnerable groups, households, strategic industries, and small businesses are supported, and costs are borne by those who can afford them. INTEGRATION of grids with markets for district heating / cooling, electric vehicles, hydrogen, and e-fuels lowers costs and improves energy security. CITIZEN AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT can reduce costs and accelerate permitting of grid strengthening projects. SCIENCE (EVIDENCE)-BASED POLICIES supported by foresight, research, training, and skills development can help to build investor confidence.
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Meeting with Pernille Weiss-Ehler (Cabinet of Commissioner Jessika Roswall)

30 Jun 2025 · EASAC in general (presentation) and their work on wildfires

Meeting with Jutta Paulus (Member of the European Parliament)

19 May 2025 · Speaker: Wildfires, Nature conservation, agriculture

Response to Fitness check – energy security architecture

20 Nov 2024

Europes national academies of science, through EASAC, have been working during 2024 on a report for EU policy makers on Security of Sustainable Energy Supplies, to be published in April 2025. Our report will present independent science-based advice on policies and measures for delivering secure supplies of energy throughout the transition from a fossil-fuel based energy system to a sustainable energy system that meets EU targets for 2030, 2040 and the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. It builds on earlier EASAC work on the Future of Gas and on the Decarbonisation of Transport and Buildings, as well as the EU Hydrogen strategy, Electricity Storage, and Nuclear Waste management https://easac.eu/programmes/energy/publications. Here, we provide a preview of our messages and findings that are key to the effectiveness, resilience, sustainability and adaptability of EU energy security architecture. 1. Energy security plays a key role in national security, and must therefore be managed together with national and EU military and defence policies. Although our report does not address defence policies, research shows that critical energy infrastructure may need military protection. Further research is also needed on greening fuel supplies to military services. 2. Substantial growth in sustainable electricity supplies is projected, as the transport, buildings, and industry sectors are electrified to reduce GHG emissions and to improve energy security and affordability. 3. In our review of the history of energy security in the EU and of a more integrated EU energy system, we highlight the roles of energy efficiency, demand management and fuel switching to deliver more secure and sustainable energy supplies at affordable costs. 4. Given the continuing volatility of geopolitics, we highlight the need to focus on the diversity of imported fuels throughout the energy transition, and to select trusted suppliers of sustainable fuel imports (e.g. green hydrogen and biofuels) 5. We highlight the importance of speeding up the phasing out of fossil fuels, and acknowledge the need for trusted suppliers of fossil fuels in the transition phase. 6. In the transition, we highlight the importance of support for low income households and vulnerable groups that cannot afford to pay for energy efficiency measures and so could fall into energy poverty. 7. All these points suggest an urgent need for a holistic regulatory framework across energy, environment, climate, and biodiversity, to deliver security and sustainability goals, and to involve citizens, households and business leaders in the holistic governance of the transition to a sustainable energy system. Our report also: 1. Reviews the needs for secure supplies of critical raw materials and components for strategic energy technologies, and the potential benefits of increasing production of sustainable energy technologies and systems in the EU. 2. Analyses the role of cyber security for energy systems, and the dependency of electricity supplies on IT systems. This dependency is found in fossil-fuelled and renewable energy generators, including decentralised generators that use synchronisation signals, and it risks causing disruptions (brownouts or blackouts) through IT system failures or cyberattacks. 3. Discusses the financing and investment needs for electricity infrastructure, storage, demand response and interconnections, and the role of energy security in the EU electricity market design. 4. Reviews adequacy assessment methodologies for electricity generation, and how to manage the flexibility of integrated energy systems with more sector coupling, that are dominated by variable renewable generation, including decentralised generation by prosumers. 5. Reviews key energy security threats and potential benefits of policy options for addressing them, and draws conclusions on policy priorities for the future delivery of secure supplies of sustainable energies in the EU.
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Response to Managing EU climate risks

13 Jan 2024

The European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC) welcomes the EU Commission's initiative to strengthen social resilience to increasing climate risks in the EU. In their work under our energy, environment and biosciences and health programmes, our scientists are regularly examining the latest scientific evidence of the likely impact of changing weather patterns and extreme weather events including sea level rises, water shortages, and wildfires that can lead to famine, disease, and increased risks of mass migration and wars, and provide recommendations for further policy action. Below you find the links to our most relevant past and upcoming publications. All reports include extensive lists of further scientific evidence on the respective topics.
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Meeting with Diederik Samsom (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Helena Braun (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Riccardo Maggi (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans), Stefanie Hiesinger (Cabinet of Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans)

30 Apr 2021 · Use of Forest for Energy Generation

Response to Guidance on REDII forest biomass sustainability criteria

21 Apr 2021

MITIGATING CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGH THE RED; CONCLUSIONS THAT FOLLOW FROM EASAC ANALYSES OF THE SCIENCE Bioenergy is currently treated equally with renewable energies such as solar, wind in achieving national and international GHG reduction targets in the energy sector, and therefore eligible for renewable energy subsidies. This is what has led to the current situation where annual subsidies for biomass energy in Europe approach €6.5 billion, and international trade in biomass pellets is in the tens of millions of tons, as a result of the growth in the use of biomass pellets in electricity generation. From a climate perspective, the key question is “does this help to mitigate climate change”; particularly since mitigation is the purpose of the RED. This is equivalent to asking if atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide are reduced. We know that wind and solar achieve this after a few months. So how does forest biomass perform against this criterion? The attached lay summary sets out the reasons why the current RED regime is supporting perverse, climate damaging use of forest biomass on a large scale. In order to remedy this and create a regime that prioritizes climate change mitigation in renewable energy policy, the following major changes to the RED would be required: - Include in the sustainability criteria a specific condition that net positive effects on climate should be achieved within a short period (preferable 10 but certainly less than 20 years). This should be applicable to all uses above a certain minimum size and where biomass is imported. - Lower acceptable supply chain emissions to below 30 kgCO2/MWh (as already done in the UK) - Specify the methods of calculation for assessing the net effects on atmospheric carbon emissions (full life cycle analyses of the kind already available – e.g. the UK BEAC model) and requirements for independent validation. - New reporting requirements that make transparent emissions across the supply chain and including combustion emissions. - Biomass energy should only be eligible for member state renewable energy subsidies where the above criteria are met. References and the full rationale are in the file attached
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Response to Revision of the Renewable Energy Directive (EU) 2018/2001

20 Sept 2020

The criteria for considering forest biomass to be a source of ‘renewable’ energy has long been questioned. EASAC has carried out much work on the use of forest biomass – especially as a substitute for coal in electricity generation and the conclusions summarised here reflect the consensus of all Europe’s 28 Academies of Science. The objective of renewable energy is to reduce overall greenhouse gas emission levels and mitigate climate change. But the extensive scientific research reviewed by EASAC shows that current practice and regulations fail to properly assess climate impacts. In particular, the large-scale use of forest biomass provided through international trade in wood pellets actually increases emissions for long periods. The mistaken belief that forest biomass can contribute to climate change mitigation has historically been based on the assumption that biomass can be regarded as ‘carbon neutral’ because harvested trees will regrow. However, carbon neutrality is thus a false and misleading concept and should not be assumed. Much research shows that for each kWh of electricity generated, biomass emits significantly MORE CO2 than the coal it is replacing. The initial effect of switching from fossil fuels to biomass in power stations is thus to INCREASE net emissions to the atmosphere. A significant ‘time lag’ exists before any assumed regrowth in biomass after harvesting can offset this initial increase (the carbon payback period). The reason this perverse effect is not apparent to many regulators is due to the accounting rules. These allow biomass emissions at the point of combustion to be zero rated- because they are assumed to have been recorded in forestry sector emissions. As recognized by the IPCC, current climate emission accounting rules thus present a false picture. To properly assess climate impacts, full life cycle assessment that records all emissions along the supply chain and any changes in the forest carbon stock are essential. A critical component of assessing the climate impact of biomass is thus proper carbon accounting. With this, the initial carbon debt and carbon payback period can be calculated. This should be a fundamental component of any ‘sustainability’ criteria. EASAC’s argument is that the proximity of current global temperatures to the 1.5oC Paris target means that only short payback periods (less than 10 years) can be considered compatible with nation’s Paris Agreement commitments. Biomass subsidies to facilities with longer payback periods do not achieve the objectives of ‘renewable’ energy. Up to now, EU regulations (as well as elsewhere) have developed rules on the nature of the feedstock and whether it is legal, illegal or ‘sustainable’. From a climate perspective, however this is irrelevant. The atmospheric impact of increased CO2 is the same wherever the carbon came from, and thus such criteria cannot be a substitute for proper accounting of emissions. The RED thus needs to require that operators prove over what time period their combination of biomass source and use makes a real contribution to climate change mitigation, by conducting full life cycle accounting. The science suggests subsidies should be limited to situations where payback periods are short. Source documents 1. Statement on carbon neutrality https://easac.eu/fileadmin/PDFs/reports_statements/Carbon_Neutrality/EASAC_commentary_on_Carbon_Neutrality_15_June_2018.pdf), 2. An update on forests bioenergy https://easac.eu/fileadmin/PDFs/reports_statements/Negative_Carbon/EASAC_Commentary_Forest_Bioenergy_Feb_2019_FINAL.pdf 3. Serious mismatches continue between science and policy in forest bioenergy https://doi.org/10.1111/gcbb.12643.
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Response to Revision of the EU Emission Trading System Monitoring and Reporting Regulation (MRR)

10 Jul 2020

We wish to comment specifically on the need to reform the ETS related to biomass use, since the current rules fail to reflect the effects of biomass use for energy on the climate. In particular, the effects of switching from fossil fuels to biomass for electricity generation has been widely studied in the last decade and it is now known to be inconsistent with current ETS assumptions and objectives. A more detailed analysis and proposals for revisions to the ETS are in the attached paper. Please consider
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Meeting with Helena Hinto (Cabinet of Commissioner Kadri Simson)

5 Mar 2020 · Energy Files

Response to High and low Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC) - risks biofuels, bioliquids and biomass fuels

1 Mar 2019

On behalf of the European Academies Science Advisory Cuncil (EASAC) we draw attention to the several relevant reports showing the importance of considering biogenic emissions and land use change in determining whether any switch from fossil fuels to biomass is beneficial or harmful to climate. Many cases which superfically appear climate positive have the opposite (and perverse) effects when full life cycles are considered. This applies to both liquid bio-fuels and solid biomass from forests used for power generaiton. For instance in our 2013 report on biofuels we say “there are serious concerns about sustainability of biofuel production and its impacts on the natural environment” and …”The EU Renewable Energy Directive sustainability criteria should be revised to ensure that lifecycle assessments reflect the real-world performance of biofuel production and include all impacts of cultivation and production, direct and indirect.“ Similar conclusions emerge from more recent studies on soild biomass. From a basic position to minimize LUC-associated feedstocks, we would thus support the lowest possible threshold figures inclusing those in Article 3a ((a) the average annual expansion of the global production area of the feedstock since 2008 is higher than [1]% and affects more than [100,000] hectares;)。And the 10% in Article 3b. We would encourage the Commission to avoid any upward change in these figures and if possible further reduce them. Relevant EASAC work is (all available from www.easac.eu) 2013 report on liquid biofuels 2017 report on multifunctional forestry 2018 Statement on carbon neutrality 2019 Commentary on updating reports on forest biomass and negative emission technologies. Michael Norton EASAC Environment prohram Director
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Meeting with Ann Mettler (Director-General Inspire, Debate, Engage and Accelerate Action)

15 Jun 2017 · Science Advice

Meeting with Carlos Moedas (Commissioner)

6 Jul 2015 · Scientific Advice Mechanism

Meeting with Maria Da Graca Carvalho (Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas)

18 Jun 2015 · Meeting with Bill Gillett

Meeting with Maria Da Graca Carvalho (Cabinet of Commissioner Carlos Moedas)

25 Feb 2015 · Meeting with Mr William Gillet, EASAC Energy Programme