The von der Leyen Commission's energy policy priorities will be based on three pillars: people, the planet and partners, announced Kadri Simson, the new European Commissioner for Energy, on Wednesday 4 December at the meeting of Member States' Energy Ministers.
With regard to the first pillar, the Commissioner considers that the EU's future energy policy can only be effective if it provides tangible benefits to citizens. In this context, Mrs Simson intends to focus in particular on the fight against energy poverty, while 50 million European citizens are currently unable to afford adequate heating.
To overcome this problem, the Commissioner believes that a massive wave of renovation must be launched in order to at least triple the rate of building renovations in Europe.
With regard to the second pillar, the Commissioner recalled the new Commission's wish to reduce CO2 emissions further and faster (-55% by 2030). Therefore, she announced that the Commission will assess in the coming months whether it is necessary to revise the EU's energy efficiency and renewable energy targets, while Member States' energy/climate plans must be submitted to her before the end of the year (see other news).
The Estonian then stressed the importance of increasing the EU's electrification, in particular by strengthening the role of offshore wind power.
During the first year of her mandate, she will also work to create an environment in which “clean” gases will play a significant role, in particular through the revision of the Regulation on the Trans-European Energy Network (TEN-E).
Finally, on the third pillar, the Commissioner intends to develop a green agenda for the Western Balkans and to put more emphasis on cooperation with Africa, in particular the Mediterranean countries.
While Mrs Simson's announcements were generally well received by Ministers, the Netherlands and France stressed the need to also revise the EU Energy Tax Directive. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)