The need to be realistic about how the energy transition will be achieved was highlighted by Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou.
Speaking at the 11th Delphi Economic Forum 2026 in a discussion with European Commission Executive Vice President for a Clean, Fair and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, he specifically stressed: “For years unfragmentation has served as a holy grail, not only in Brussels but also in many other countries, and has been interpreted as something that takes precedence over social cohesion, competitiveness or de-industrialisation. Now we all realise that it is not an end in itself. We realise how important it is, without sacrificing the protection of the environment and the need to reduce emissions, to move forward, but to do so in a realistic way and to be technologically neutral.” Papastavrou.
Asked about the energy crisis, he stressed that it took more than a year in 2022 for member states to accept that they needed to take action and start discussions. “This time it took only two weeks.Europe does not have the perfect reflexes, but it has proven that when the crisis comes it has the strength and maturity to take action,” he noted, adding: “It is clear that we need to take targeted measures that protect social cohesion and do not undermine fiscal balance, but at the same time do not create inequalities. And at the same time, we need to move towards a single European energy market.”
The Environment and Energy Minister referred to the country’s progress in terms of the energy mix, noting that in 2005 Greece covered more than 65% of its electricity needs from lignite, while by 2025 lignite has fallen below 8% and renewable energy has reached 55%. “The participation of Renewable Energy Sources in the country’s energy mix places Greece in 7th place worldwide. And if we compare greenhouse gas emissions over the same period, we are below 50%. This shows that environmental protection is not a luxury. It is something that society can support, as long as it is done in realistic terms and takes into account the competitiveness of the economy and social cohesion,” he said.
And referring to the Networks Directive, he noted that many countries openly opposed it. “We fought a long battle. I hope that developments in the Middle East will lead in June to the adoption of the network package,” he stressed.
For her part, the vice-president of the European Commission pointed out that the EU is more resilient to the crisis than in 2022. “We are in a better position. We have the way to react, we know we have to act together and quickly. That is why the impact is not as big as in the Ukrainian crisis,” she said.
