Join this debate as experts examine how EU pesticide Maximum Residue Limits shape food safety, environmental protection, and international agri‑food trade, focusing on regulatory divergence, competitiveness concerns, and the implications of the Commission’s planned impact assessment on hazardous pesticide residues in imports.

Effective food safety and plant health standards are central to protecting human health, the environment, and the sustainability of agri-food systems, while enabling international trade. Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides in food are essential for consumer protection and are intended to facilitate trade between countries. However, the stringency of MRLs set in the EU is criticized by producers in third countries for increasing compliance burdens, leading to border rejections and restricting market access—particularly affecting exporters in developing and least-developed countries, including small and medium-sized enterprises. On the other hand, European stakeholders call for even stricter MRLs, in particular for active substances prohibited in the EU.

In the Vision for Agriculture and Food, the Commission announced that it will establish a principle that the most hazardous pesticides banned in the EU for health and environmental reasons are not allowed back to the EU through imported products . To advance on this, the Commission has launched in November 2025 a study to prepare an Impact Assessment that will consider the impacts on the EU’s competitive position and the international implications and, if appropriate, propose amendments to the applicable legal framework. The divergent regulation of pesticide residues in the EU and other major economies is becoming an increasingly important and contested dimension of global agri-food trade.

Programme:

Chair:

• Fabio Santeramo (EUI)

Speakers:

• Klaus Berend (DG SANTE)
• Niklas Möhring (Production Economics Group at the University of Bonn)

This webinar examines how evolving EU plant health and phytosanitary regulations can balance safety, trade, and sustainability, with a focus on innovative post-harvest treatments and their implications for international market access.

Effective plant health measures are essential to protect agriculture, biodiversity, and global food security while enabling safe international trade. Yet many food, plant, and human health regulations—such as SPS measures—though crucial for safety, create compliance costs, cause border rejections in case of non-compliance, and subject market access to the respect of conditions.

Their stringency and limited harmonization place burdens on exporters in developing countries, especially smallholders, thereby challenging market access.

Against this backdrop, the regulatory framework for plant health and phytosanitary treatments is evolving rapidly. This webinar will examine upcoming EU developments, focusing on innovative, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly post-harvest treatments—such as heat, cold, irradiation, and controlled atmosphere—to prevent the spread of regulated pests. Experts from DG AGRI and DG SANTE, academics and businesses will discuss future standards, compliance requirements, scientifically based protocols, and engagement with regulatory authorities and industry. The session provides a platform to explore how policy and regulation can balance safety, trade, and sustainability.

Programme:

• Chair: Fabio Santeramo (EUI)

Speakers:

• Wolfgang Reinert (DG SANTE)
• Dany Bylemans (Pcfruit, KU Leuven)

Join this debate to understand how the new GeoMap Europe platform reshapes the understanding of geothermal potential across the EU.

Geothermal energy is increasingly recognised as a strategic pillar of Europe’s clean energy transition, particularly for district heating, industrial heat, and firm renewable power. Yet its deployment has long been constrained by fragmented geological data, high upfront risks, and regulatory complexity.

This online debate centres on the launch of GeoMap Europe, a new continent-wide geothermal mapping platform developed by Project InnerSpace, which integrates millions of subsurface data points into an open, accessible visualisation of Europe’s geothermal resources.

The discussion will examine how GeoMap Europe can help overcome information and risk barriers, support the implementation of EU climate and energy legislation, and accelerate geothermal deployment in line with the European Green Deal and revised Renewable Energy Directive. Speakers will reflect on policy, regulatory, and market implications, including permitting acceleration, heat planning, and the role of geothermal in strengthening Europe’s energy independence.

The session will be of particular interest to policymakers, regulators, researchers, energy system planners, and stakeholders involved in heat decarbonisation and renewable energy deployment.

Programme

14:30 – Welcome and introduction

Andris Piebalgs, FSR

14:35 – Geothermal energy in the EU policy framework

Marianna Jakab, European Commission 

14:50 – GeoMap Europe: data, methodology and policy relevance

Drew Nelson, Project InnerSpace

15:10 – Panel discussion: Regulatory and planning implications

Session focus: Data availability and permitting acceleration, Geothermal and national heat planning, Investment risk, public policy, and system integration

Annamária Nádar, Chair of EU Geo-energy Expert Group

David Bruhn, Fraunhofer IEG

Sanjeev Kumar, European Geothermal Energy Council

15:45 – Audience Q&A

15:55 – Conclusions and closing

This webinar examined how the European Affordable Housing Plan addresses Europe’s housing crisis as a strategic challenge for competitiveness and social cohesion.

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Europe’s housing crisis is no longer only a social challenge; it has become a critical competitiveness issue. Soaring house prices, rising rents, and a persistent shortage of affordable homes are constraining labour mobility, deepening inequalities, and placing increasing pressure on Europe’s economic growth model.

This webinar explores the European Affordable Housing Plan, the EU’s first comprehensive framework designed to address the structural causes of the housing crisis. The discussion will examine how the Plan seeks to increase housing supply, mobilise public and private investment, simplify regulatory frameworks, and strengthen support for cities, regions, and Member States; while reinforcing social cohesion and Europe’s long-term economic resilience.

The webinar will also connect the priorities of the Plan with the cities of tomorrow, highlighting how affordable housing policy intersects with the reimagining of urban infrastructure, sustainability, and inclusive growth.

Participants will gain practical insights into the Plan’s four pillars, boosting housing supply, mobilising investment, enabling reforms, and supporting the most affected groups, alongside an overview of recent changes to EU funding instruments and State aid rules. The discussion will focus on what these measures mean in practice for policymakers, housing providers, cities, and investors across Europe.

The European Affordable Housing Plan was adopted by the European Commission in December last year. Its preparation was led by the Task Force on Housing within the Commission, under the leadership of Matthew Baldwin, Deputy Director-General at DG Energy. He will deliver the keynote address at the webinar, offering first-hand insights into the Plan’s objectives and implementation.

Programme

Moderator: Andris Piebalgs, Part-time Professor, FSR

Keynote presentation: Matthew Baldwin, DDG DG Energy, Head of TFH, EC

Discussant: Mārtiņš Staķis, MEP, former Mayor of Riga (TBC)

Panel discussion: Housing Plan and Cities of tomorrow

Gwen Colin, ESG Director of Vauban Infrastructure Partners

Thomas Bourleaud, Project Leader at Altermind

Christopher Jones, Part-time Professor, FSR (TBC)

This webinar explored how lessons from past and forthcoming policy evaluations can enhance the effectiveness, coherence, and impact of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

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The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) remains the cornerstone of the EU’s strategy for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Under the new programming framework (2023–2027), Member States are implementing their CAP Strategic Plans through a performance-based model that aligns national actions with the EU’s economic, social, and environmental objectives. The updated CAP performance evaluation framework places greater emphasis on quantitative, impact-oriented assessments. Member States will now carry out interim evaluations within three years of implementation and final evaluations within two years after the programming period. Although ex-ante evaluations have been discontinued, countries are still required to demonstrate how their interventions address identified needs.

This event brings together experts to discuss the practical, analytical, and policy dimensions of evaluating the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It will offer a platform to explore how lessons from past policy cycles can inform the implementation of the new CAP for 2023–2027, particularly regarding Member States’ performance in delivering their CAP Strategic Plans. The webinar will address progress toward economic, social, and environmental objectives, as well as early evidence emerging from annual performance reports. Participants will also reflect on the implications of past performance reviews for enhancing policy coherence, delivery, and overall effectiveness. The event will open with a keynote address from the European Commission’s DG AGRI, Unit on Policy Performance, followed by a debate among experts from academia, research institutions, business associations, and national regulators. It will be an online event featuring presentations and an interactive Q&A session. The webinar is aimed at scholars, professionals, and policymakers working in the fields of agriculture, rural development, sustainability, and EU policy evaluation, with a strong interest in evidence-based policymaking and the future of the CAP.

Programme

• Moderator: Rose O’Donovan (AGRA FACTS)
• Intro Speech: Fabio Santeramo (EUI)

Speakers:

• Sophie Helaine (DG AGRI)
• Giampiero Genovese (JRC)
• Sophie Thoyer (INRAE)
• Bérénice Dupeux (Ecorys)
• Blanca Casares Guillén (AEIDL)

Q&A session:

• Emil Erjavec (University of Ljubljana)
• Aneta Suchon (University of Adam Mickiewicz)

Join this online debate to identify remaining gaps, improve usability, and support informed evaluation of carbon pricing as a policy tool.

As carbon pricing grows in importance for EU climate policy, attention is turning to the data that underpins analysis and evaluation of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). While substantial datasets exist, challenges remain in ensuring transparency, compatibility, and accessibility across sources. These limitations hinder both rigorous research and broader stakeholder understanding of the system’s functioning and efficiency.

This online debate will explore the current state of EU ETS data availability and the progress made in merging and enhancing datasets related to carbon pricing in Europe. The discussion will highlight advances in data integration, interpretation, and visualisation. By bringing together researchers and practitioners, the session aims to identify remaining gaps, improve usability, and support informed evaluation of carbon pricing as a policy tool.

Programme

14:00-14:10 Introduction, context & insights

Simone Borghesi & Marie Raude (EUI)

14:10-14:45 Panel debate

Jan Abrell (University of Basel)

Aliènor Cameron (OECD, EUI)

Liza Leimane (EEA)

Meili Vanegas Hernadez (Sandbag)

14:45-15:00 Q&A with the audience and wrap-up

Watch the recording of the online debate where experts discussed why and how to regionalize capacity markets in the EU:

The recent electricity market design reform has redefined the role of capacity mechanisms in the EU. No longer seen as temporary safeguards, these instruments now benefit from a streamlined State aid approval process. At the same time, an increasing number of Member States are considering introducing capacity markets in the coming years.

As capacity mechanisms become a key tool to drive investment and ensure security of supply, effective cross-border coordination will be essential. Such coordination can help avoid under- or over-procurement and direct investments toward the most cost-efficient locations across Europe. If capacity markets continue to expand and consolidate, the next step could be to integrate them regionally.

This debate will bring together representative of key EU institutions to discuss :

• What would be the benefits of integrating capacity markets across borders?
• How far can we go in capacity markets’ regionalisation?
• What are the main barriers – and potential solutions – to a regional approach?

Programme

Opening presentation

14.00-14.10 Presentation of the new FSR working paper: «Three steps to a regional capacity market in the EU»

Emma Menegatti | Florence School of Regulation

Panel Discussion and live polls

Moderator:  Leonardo Meeus | Florence School of Regulation

Panelists :

Miriam Stallone | European Commission – DG ENER

Daniel Ihasz-Toth | ACER

Marco Foresti | ENTSO-E

14.10-14.25 What would be the benefits of integrating capacity markets across borders?

14.25-14.40 How far can we go in capacity markets’ regionalisation?

14.40-14.55  What are the main barriers – and potential solutions – to a regional approach?

Closing and additional questions

Leonardo Meeus | Florence School of Regulation

This webinare explored how innovative EU financing tools can support the early development of a clean hydrogen infrastructure while limiting taxpayer costs.

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In the framework of the Commission’s new MFF budget proposal for 2028-2035, the Commission has proposed a greatly increased budget for the Connecting Europe Facility, from the current €5.2 billion to almost €30 billion, together with an updated CEF framework. In addition, it has proposed a budget of €67.4 billion for ‘Clean Transition and Industrial Decarbonisation’ under the newly proposed Competitiveness Fund.

In parallel to this proposed greatly increased funding for Green Deal relevant infrastructure, the Commission proposes a major update on how the CEF will be spent. Instead of being limited to grants, it may also be spent “in the form of a budgetary guarantee or a financial instrument, including where combined with non-repayable support in a blending operation….exclusively provided through the ECF InvestEU Instrument or GE delivery mechanism”. This is an important development in EU funding.

The German Anticipatory Loan Guarantee Mechanism, which has been approved by the Commission under the State aid rules, provides the first concrete example of such a mechanism for hydrogen grids that need to be anticipatory in nature – being built today but for the demand of the future whilst still keeping transmission fees low in the short to medium term.

This webinar will explore how the EU can leverage innovative financing mechanisms under the CEF and other instruments to accelerate the development of a robust, integrated hydrogen network at limited cost for the taxpayer, but one that will facilitate the development of the clean hydrogen market.

• Christoph von dem Bussche, Gasunie Deutschland
• Catharina Sikow-Magny, Florence School of Regulation
• Lucie Boost, Gas Infrastructure Europe

As the EU considers price-based mechanisms for its 2026 ETS reform, this online debate explored how such tools could enhance market stability and better align the carbon market with long-term climate goals.

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As the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) approaches its 2026 reform, attention is turning to how market tightness is managed. The current tool – the Market Stability Reserve (MSR) – relies on a quantity-based mechanism to adjust supply. While it has helped address historical surplus, its responsiveness and predictability are increasingly questioned as the market enters a phase of structural scarcity.
This online debate explores an alternative approach: introducing price-based mechanisms to manage supply-demand tightness in compliance carbon markets. The session will focus on the practical challenges of implementing such tools, drawing on operational precedents from other systems worldwide and a robust body of literature supporting their economic rationale.
By bringing together policymakers, researchers, and market practitioners, the debate aims to inform and contribute constructively to the ongoing EU ETS reform process. It will focus on how to fine tune a price-based mechanism to enhance market stability, transparency, and alignment with long-term decarbonisation goals. Specifically, the panel will discuss key design considerations for operationalising such a system (e.g., the number and trajectory of the price thresholds, intervention frequency and volume) and the trade-offs inherent in each design choice.

Programme

14:00 – 14:10 Introduction, context & insights

Simone Borghesi | Director of the Florence School of Regulation – Climate
Marie Raude | Research Assistant at FSR Climate

14:10 – 14:45 Panel debate

Florent Le Strat | Électricité de France (EDF)
Dallas Burtraw | Resources for the Future (RFF)
Jean-Yves Benoit |Quebec Ministry of the Environment – DG Carbon Regulation and Emissions Data
Hæge Fjellheim | Head of Carbon Analysis (Veyt)

14:45 – 15:00 Q&A with the audience and wrap-up

The FSR Law Area provided a comprehensive review of the most significant energy cases before the Court of Justice of the European Union in recent months. Kaisa Huhta (Part-Time Professor, FSR; Associate Professor, University of Eastern Finland) and Adrien de Hauteclocque (Part-Time Professor, FSR; Visiting Senior Fellow, LSE) will offer an expert analysis of the latest developments in case law.

Watch the recording:

Following the presentation, an interactive Q&A session was held, allowing attendees to engage directly with the experts and enhance their understanding of the topics discussed.

Below are the cases that were discussed:

Taxonomy
T-625/22 – Austria v Commission
T-579/22 – ClientEarth v Commission
T-583/22 – Fédération environnement durable and Others v Commission

ACER
T-95/23 – RWE Supply & Trading v ACER
T-96/23 – Uniper Global Commodities v ACER
T-342/23 – Aquind v ACER
T-600/23 – BNetzA v ACER
T-612/23 – Germany v ACER

State Aid
T-596/22 – PGI Spain and Others v Commission
C-59/23 – Austria v Commission (Centrale nucléaire Paks II)

The discussion also covered an overview of the most important pending cases.

This webinar presented the ongoing research of the U2Demo project on mapping and comparing the legal and regulatory framework for the development of open-source peer-to-peer energy sharing platforms

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At EU level, since the Clean Energy Package, regulation has enabled active consumers to jointly self-consume and engage in P2P (peer-to-peer) energy trading within or beyond Energy Communities (ECs). The reforms introduced by the new Electricity Market Design have inserted specific rules for energy sharing, adding a further layer of rules to the existing regulatory landscape for energy sharing activities.

At Member State level, divergences in the transposition of these EU legislations for enabling P2P sharing, increase complexity, particularly in the allocation of duties and responsibilities among various market actors (e.g. members, sharing organisers, traditional suppliers, DSOs).

The webinar aims to present the final report led by the Florence School of Regulation and conducted within the U2Demo project. FSR leads the task for mapping and comparing the legal and regulatory framework that enables the development of consumer-centric models for energy sharing and P2P trading within energy communities, starting from the EU legislation and digging into its transposition in the national jurisdiction of four Member States, namely, Italy, Portugal, Belgium (Flanders), and the Netherlands.

Programme

Panel 1  (14:00 – 14:40)

Report presentation: mapping and comparing the legal and regulatory framework for energy sharing and P2P trading

Nicolò Rossetto (FSR) – moderator

Presenters:

Hugo Morais (INESC-ID)

Lucila de Almeida (FSR)

Max Munchmeyer (FSR)

Alessandra Porcari (FSR)

Eva Winters (TNO)

Panel 2 (14:40 – 15:30)

Roundtable for Discussion

Tadhg O’Briain – DG ENER

Frederic-Michael Foeteler – CEER

Josh Roberts – REscoop

Laurens Rutten – BEUC

Anna Momotova – Eurelectric

Q&A discussion (15:30 – 16:00)

Funded by the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Actions under grant agreement no. 101160684. Views and opinions expressed in this document are those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 

Join this online debate to explore how EU Member States manage energy consumer data and how implementing Regulation 2023/1162 supports cross-border interoperability for innovative, data-driven energy services.

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Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/1162— the first of the implementing acts foreseen by Article 24 of the Electricity Directive 2019/944— requires Member States to facilitate the interoperability of energy services within the Union. It introduces a Reference Model for access to metering and consumption data and obliges Member States to report their national practices to the European Commission by 5 July 2025.

The information collected will be published in a repository jointly maintained by ENTSO-E and the EU DSO Entity. This approach aims to foster interoperability across borders without mandating a single data management model.

As the reporting deadline approaches, the Florence School of Regulation (FSR) is organising an online debate to reflect on the current landscape of consumer data management in Europe and the EU’s approach to interoperability. A recent FSR policy brief will be presented during the event, followed by a discussion with key stakeholders.

This event is organised in the context of the Horizon Europe project EDDIE and has been co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Innovation Actions under grant agreement No. 101069510, EDDIE – European Distributed Data Infrastructure for Energy.

Programme

14:00 – 14:05     Introduction

Nicolò Rossetto, FSR

14:05 – 14:15     Presentation of the FSR Policy Brief

Ellen Beckstedde, FSR

14:15 – 14:45     Panel debate

Konstantinos Stamatis | DG ENER, EC

Anna Maggioni | ARERA

Michèle Dion-Demael | ENTSO-E

Anna Gorbatcheva | 1KOMMA5°

14:45 – 15:00     Q&A with the audience and wrap-up