Belgium abstained from a pivotal EU vote on the bloc’s 2040 climate target, a move that Climate Minister Jean-Luc Crucke says undermines Belgium’s credibility and influence in climate policy.

The New Flemish Alliance (N-VA), led by Prime Minister Bart De Wever, was cited by ministers as the faction blocking Belgium from backing the deal.

An N-VA lawmaker, Andries Gryffroy, described the abstention as a collegial decision within the Flemish government.

Flemish Climate Minister Melissa Depraetere criticized the decision, saying the proposal met the Flemish government’s three criteria, but internal disagreements prevented a unified Belgian position.

EU environment ministers agreed to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 from 1990 levels, with Belgium among six member states not supporting the revision.

Belgium was among six EU states that did not back the revision; Bulgaria abstained, while the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, and Poland voted against it.

Crucke called the abstention a political setback and warned that it aligns Belgium with less ambitious peers such as Poland, Hungary and Slovakia.

The abstention reflects ongoing tensions between federal and regional authorities, revealing internal divisions over the proposed 2040 target.