The European Parliament voted, on Thursday 14 September, by 366 votes to 186, with 18 abstentions, in favour of opening interinstitutional negotiations (trilogues) with the EU Council on the proposed reform of the electricity market.
The mandate was approved on 19 July by Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) and supported by the EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA political groups.
However, several MEPs in these groups, as well as the ECR and The Left groups, had launched an objection procedure in an attempt to put the proposal to a vote in plenary (see EUROPE 13249/25).
This plenary vote will therefore not take place and negotiations with the EU Council can begin once the latter has adopted its position (see EUROPE 13246/1).
Before the vote on Thursday, rapporteur Nicolás González Casares (S&D, Spanish) had asked the EU Council and Commission to prove that Parliament was capable of reaching agreement quickly. “Voting yes means that Parliament will never again be sidelined by regulations adopted in a hurry”.
The shadow rapporteur, Michael Bloss (Greens/EFA, German), then expressed his delight on X (formerly Twitter) at entering the negotiation phase “with a strong, pro-European and pro-energy position”.
Christophe Grudler (Renew Europe, French), the initiator of the objection request, expressed his regret at not having been able to reopen the text in plenary, but considered that with 186 votes, “the signal is clear: the text is not perfect, particularly as regards the role of nuclear power”. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)