The European Commission has proposed new measures aimed at reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that the “Accelerate EU” strategy will deliver both immediate and structural relief for European citizens and businesses. She stated, “We must accelerate the transition to domestic, clean energy sources. This will give us energy independence and security, enabling us to better withstand geopolitical turmoil”.
The Commission plans to present an action plan on electricity by the summer. This plan is expected to include an “ambitious electrification target” along with measures designed to overcome hurdles across the industrial, transport, and building sectors. Furthermore, the Brussels authority intends to swiftly conclude negotiations on the European grid package. The plan also involves modernizing large wind farms and renewable energy facilities, supported by a legislative proposal for grid fees and electricity taxation to ensure that electricity is taxed lower than fossil fuels.
To mitigate the current crisis, the EU Commission intends to adopt a temporary framework for state aid. This will grant national governments additional flexibility to support the most severely affected economic sectors. Consumers could be shielded from price surges through targeted income support programs, energy vouchers, and social leasing schemes, alongside reduced electricity consumption taxes for low-income households.
The German Environmental Association (DUH) praised the program as a bold move. DUH National Director Sascha Müller-Kraenner contrasted this plan with national policies, stating, “While the federal government is normalizing the use of new oil and gas furnaces, protecting internal combustion engines, and slowing down renewables, the Commission is focusing on boosters for heat pumps, energy efficiency retrofitting, public transport, and electric mobility. The European Union’s ‘Accelerate EU’ program demonstrates what a forward-looking energy policy can look like”.
Müller-Kraenner urged the federal government to emulate this approach, advising that in the current fossil energy crisis, it must abandon its outdated energy policy. He concluded, “What is urgently needed are real solutions that make us less dependent on the whims of global markets and geopolitics. We urge the federal government to fundamentally realign its energy and transport policy in light of the EU’s initiatives”.