Source: European Parliament
1. The Commission shares the concern of the Honourable Member. Already in March 2024, the European Climate Risk Assessment has ranked heat stress as an urgent risk to act on[1]. Complementing the measures included in the 2021 EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change to protect communities from the urban heat island effect[2], the Commission Communication on managing climate risks from 2024[3] announced additional action to protect workers from heat stress. The ongoing development of a European Climate Adaptation Plan provides now another opportunity to better protect local communities from growing heat stress through further and more ambitious EU action.
2. The Commission will consider future legislation on climate resilience and preparedness as part of the European Climate Adaptation Plan, which is expected to be adopted during the second half of 2026. However, the need for new legislation, and whether it would need to address public health risks specifically, can only be determined during the related Impact Assessment process and following consultations with Parliament, the Member States and other stakeholders.
3. The recent Commission Communication on the road to the next multiannual financial framework recognises that preparing for growing climate risks will need to be an overarching objective for EU action under the next EU budget, which will also play a central role in promoting social and territorial cohesion in the EU[4].