The European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) has warned that most EU Member States’ National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) lack clear targets and implementation frameworks for energy storage beyond 2030. Although the European Commission acknowledges certain progress, EASE identifies significant gaps in long-term strategic planning.
“Most NECPs fail to include energy storage targets beyond 2030, concrete policies to achieve them, or a methodology to assess future flexibility needs,” the report states, published by EASE on May 28, 2025.
NECPs are key policy tools through which each Member State outlines its ten-year strategy in line with the European Green Deal and the bloc’s climate goals. However, the lack of long-term vision undermines system operators’ ability to anticipate energy demand and design robust, flexible infrastructure.
2030 targets reveal ambition gaps across Member States
Although most updated NECPs recognize the importance of energy storage, only a few countries have set quantitative targets through 2030. Spain leads with a goal of 22.5 GW of installed capacity, followed by Greece with 4.3 GW in batteries and 1.928 GW in pumped hydro, and Romania with 1.2 GW in batteries and 800 MW in hydro storage.
By contrast, countries such as Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden acknowledge energy storage but provide no specific figures. Some, like Finland, refer to potential deployments up to 5 GW, though without formal commitment. According to EASE, “progress varies significantly among countries, and in many cases, lacks an effective implementation roadmap.”
Missing enabling policies and harmonized flexibility assessments
Beyond storage targets, EASE’s analysis evaluates four additional pillars: PPAs, permitting procedures, support for energy communities, and consistency with Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs).
Several countries—Italy, Portugal, and Malta, among others—have made progress in developing national platforms for PPAs and digital one-stop shops to speed up permitting. Other nations, including Greece, Luxembourg, and Sweden, have proposed regulatory frameworks for citizen energy communities and self-consumption, though many of these measures remain in early stages.
Still, no Member State has fully assessed its national flexibility needs, primarily due to the lack of a common EU methodology. This gap is expected to be addressed by the Flexibility Needs Assessment (FNA), mandated under Regulation (EU) 2024/1106, but “the final methodology has yet to be published,” EASE notes.
Discrepancies between NECPs and national recovery plans
Another critical weakness lies in the misalignment between NECPs and Recovery and Resilience Plans, which allocate EU funds through the NextGenerationEU program. Countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Finland demonstrate relatively strong alignment, whereas others—France, Germany, Romania, and Croatia—show gaps in cross-referencing investment priorities.
According to EASE, a coherent energy transition requires regulatory clarity, long-term targets, and secured funding. “Without these foundations, it will be difficult to build a sustainable and resilient energy system,” the association warns.
Conclusion: A fragmented roadmap for Europe’s energy future
In summary, EASE’s analysis reveals that Europe still lacks a unified, forward-looking strategy for energy storage deployment beyond the current decade. While a few countries have taken significant steps, the absence of long-term targets, common methodologies, and robust enabling frameworks hinders meaningful progress.
“Storage and flexibility must be at the core of tomorrow’s energy systems. Without long-term planning, Europe risks falling behind,” the report concludes.
