energy <\/b>and natural gas in Southeast Europe<\/b>. With major cross-border interconnections and projects of strategic<\/b> importance\u2014such as the Vertical Corridor and the electricity interconnection with Cyprus, Athens is gaining increased influence<\/b> in European energy planning<\/b>, at a time when the EU is seeking to accelerate investments<\/b>, market integration, and strengthening energy security in the face of new challenges<\/b>.<\/p>\nThis development is not an isolated institutional reform<\/b>, but is part of a broader European strategy to redesign energy infrastructure<\/b>, in which the emphasis is shifting from national systems to a fully interconnected network of common European interest<\/b>. In this new context, Greece is emerging as a critical geo-energy hub<\/b>, as its location and the interconnection projects currently being planned or implemented make it a key link<\/b> in the EU\u2019s effort to strengthen security of supply<\/b>, energy flows , and the resilience of the overall system in the face of geopolitical and technological pressures<\/b>.<\/p>\nThe eight strategic energy interconnections<\/h3>\n
The EU Council of Energy Ministers in Luxembourg today approved the European Commission\u2019s new European Energy Networks Package (European Grids Package), which had been presented on December 10, 2025.<\/p>\n
It should be noted that three of the eight strategic energy interconnections in the EU (the Trans-Balkan Natural Gas Pipeline, the Greece-Cyprus electricity interconnection, and the strengthening of electricity interconnections in Southeast Europe) are of direct interest to our country.<\/p>\n
Sources from the Ministry of Environment and Energy<\/h3>\n
These measures bear a strong Greek imprint, as the Greek government had already highlighted, as early as 2023, the need to treat electricity grids as a European\u2014and not exclusively a national\u2014matter.<\/p>\n
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis\u2019s letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in January 2025, in which he called for a new European strategy on cross-border energy infrastructure.<\/p>\n
At the same time, the Minister of Environment and Energy, Stavros Papastavrou, and the Deputy Minister, Nikos Tsafos, consistently promoted the same positions in the relevant European councils during the negotiations. In his remarks to the Council of Ministers earlier today, Mr. Papastavrou emphasized:<\/p>\n
\u201cGreece has been a staunch supporter from day one. We supported this Regulation, not because we think it is perfect, but because we believe it paves the way for a stronger internal energy market and a stronger Energy Union, which is absolutely necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he noted, strengthening energy integration is a prerequisite for ensuring affordable and secure energy for European citizens, while he warned that it would be \u201ca huge disappointment\u201d if the Council failed to reach an agreement on the regulation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe all have comments to make. But the big picture is that this is a positive step toward better coordination of the European internal energy market. I believe a good balance has been struck between cooperation and the autonomy of member states,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
He also made special mention of the need to protect critical energy infrastructure, noting that threats to undersea cables and cross-border energy networks do not concern only Russia, but come from multiple directions, making a common European strategy for resilience and security essential.<\/p>\n
Greece\u2019s Opportunity <\/h3>\n
Today\u2019s approval confirms that the European Union is now adopting an approach that Greece had timely highlighted as necessary for the completion of the Energy Union.<\/p>\n
The Grids Package introduces a new philosophy for the design of energy networks in Europe. It provides for greater coordination at the European Union level, faster permitting procedures, simplified rules for cross-border projects, and a fairer distribution of costs among the member states that benefit from the new infrastructure.<\/p>\n
This philosophy is largely in line with Greece\u2019s positions, as it treats interconnections as European projects of strategic importance rather than purely national investments. At the same time, particular emphasis is placed on utilizing existing networks, enhancing system flexibility, and better integrating renewable energy sources, as the growing share of electricity generation from RES requires significantly stronger interconnections at the European level.<\/p>\n
Of particular importance to Greece is the fact that three of the eight strategic projects (\u201cEnergy Highways\u201d) identified as priorities by the European Commission directly concern the country.<\/p>\n
These are:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\u2022 the Trans-Balkan Pipeline, whose reverse flow is a key pillar of the Vertical Gas Corridor,<\/p>\n
\u2022 the electricity interconnection between Greece and Cyprus (Great Sea Interconnector – GSI), which will end Cyprus\u2019s energy isolation,<\/p>\n
\u2022 as well as the strengthening of electricity interconnections in Southeast Europe, along the Hungary\u2013Romania\u2013Bulgaria – Greece, with the aim of enhancing security of supply and stabilizing prices in the wider region.<\/p>\n
The European energy philosophy <\/h3>\n
The European Commission describes electricity grids as the \u201cbackbone\u201d of the European energy market. Today, the European electricity grid spans more than 11 million kilometers, making it one of the largest and most reliable interconnected systems in the world.<\/p>\n
However, demand is growing rapidly. The transition to clean energy, electric mobility, the electrification of industry, and the continued expansion of renewable energy sources have led to an unprecedented increase in requests to connect new projects to the grids.<\/p>\n
According to the European Commission, approximately 40% of distribution grids in Europe are over 40 years old, while cross-border electricity transmission capacity will need to double by 2030. For this reason, it is estimated that investments of hundreds of billions of euros will be required over the coming decades to modernize and expand Europe\u2019s networks.<\/p>\n
With today\u2019s approval of the Grids Package, the European Union is taking a significant step toward more coordinated planning of energy infrastructure. This development strengthens competitiveness, resilience, and energy security, confirming Greece\u2019s strategic choice to treat interconnections as a European\u2014rather than exclusively national\u2014matter.<\/p>\n
At the same time, at the Energy Ministers\u2019 Council, Greece supported the joint initiative for a three-year postponement of the implementation of the Methane Regulation, highlighting the need to give the market and the competent authorities more time to adapt, without undermining the overall European goal of reducing methane emissions in the energy sector.<\/p>\n
The relevant non-paper was supported by 18 European Union member states, highlighting broad European support for a more realistic and feasible transition to the new regulatory framework.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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