The Council of the European Union (EU) held an Environment Council on 9 March 2012, the first one under the Danish presidency. The Environment Council discussed energy, climate change and low-carbon economy, all issues that should be at the basis of a coherent energy policy for 2050. The EU is currently discussing and drafting the concrete measures that will implement the low carbon economy Roadmap 2050 and Energy Roadmap 2050. The Council was expected to adopt conclusions, i.e. a political endorsement, on the roadmap for moving to a low-carbon economy, but the resulting text reflects the opposition from one Member State in particular and the scepticism towards new "targets".

The political debate concentrated around the opposition from Poland to endorse the Commission's proposal to adopt further commitments as to the implementation of the low-carbon Roadmap. Poland's opposition to the adoption of any new measures was however expected, following declarations by Polish representatives. Poland's opposition, materialised by its veto to the Commission's conclusions, finds its justifications in the particular energy mix of the country, mainly relying on coal (see country energy profile, Poland (pdf)). The broad support in favour of carbon capture and storage and shale gas in the country must be understood in that context. Poland's representatives were in favour of a sole reduction target for 2050, while they defended that implementation measures should be left to the Member States in accordance with the subsidiarity principle. Commissioner for Climate Action Connie Hedegaard characterised Poland's stance as "unfortunate", and provided the following answer:

"Let's imagine that we said the same about the economic crisis, that the EU defined the economic target for 2050 but how to reach it and whether anything happened in the next 38 years would be an exclusive matter for individual member states. Everyone can see that this wouldn't work. This is also true when it comes to our climate policies. [...] The Commission's job is to take care of the common European interest. [...] This is what we will do. There are already a number of proposals from the Commission paving the way, e.g. the energy efficiency directive that the European Council wants to be adopted already in June and the Commission's budget proposal with an ambitious climate mainstreaming."