The package to protect households and businesses from rising fossil fuel prices and disruption to supply chains due to events in the Middle East, called AccelerateEU is the Commission’s toolkit to provide immediate relief for European households and industries, especially the most vulnerable, while putting the EU on a firm path to energy independence.
As Commission “For the second time in less than five years, Europeans are paying the price of Europe’s dependence on imported fossil fuels, while since the escalating conflict in the Middle East, the EU has spent an extra 24 billion euros on energy imports due to higher prices.”
In this context, the Communication focuses on five sets of measures with short- and long-term implications:
More coordination at EU level: The Commission will facilitate coordination in areas such as filling gas stocks, releasing oil stocks, adopting national emergency measures and ensuring the availability of aviation fuel
Protecting consumers and industry from price crises: The Commission will assist Member States in designing targeted, timely and temporary measures to address the crisis, including a temporary framework of state aid to support the most exposed economic sectors.
Accelerating the transition to domestic clean energy and electrification : The Commission will publish an Electrification Action Plan and set an electrification target, alongside other initiatives to increase the use of geothermal, biomethane and hydrogen.
Strengthening the energy system: The Commission calls on Member States to accelerate negotiations on the European grid package, with a view to its swift adoption before summer 2026, and will adopt a legislative proposal on grid charges and taxation.
Strengthening investment: Mobilising public and private financing for the transition to clean energy.
In parallel to protect consumers, the Commission proposes measures that Member States can take, such as income support, energy vouchers (including boiler replacement), social tariffs, reductions in excise duties on electricity and VAT reductions for heat pumps, solar photovoltaic panels and related small-scale batteries, as well as tax incentives for electric vehicles.
On the transport issue, the package provides that in order to ensure sufficient fuel availability and maintain the efficient functioning of the single market, the Commission will step up European coordination to optimise fuel distribution across Member States. The Commission will set up a Fuel Observatory, which will monitor the production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels in the EU. This will allow for the rapid identification of potential shortages and help to take targeted measures to maintain a balanced fuel distribution in all regions and at all airports.
To mitigate the impact of potential fuel shortages in the EU aviation sector, the Commission will provide clarification on the existing flexibilities within the EU aviation framework to address the consequences of flight cancellations and other disruptions.
The Commission’s response to the possibility of a widespread energy crisis shows in practice the EU’s full dependence on gas. Although imports of gas from the Gulf are limited (most of it comes from Norway, the US and North Africa), LNG imports, which replaced Russian gas, could be directed to Eastern countries to meet demand, depriving the EU of gas. Several member states are concerned that disruptions in supply chains could last for several months or even years, with whatever consequences this might have forEuropean households and businesses.
The measures proposed today by the European Commission are expected to be discussed by EU leaders at the Informal European Council to be held in Cyprus on 23-24 April.
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