The European Energy Ministers will meet in Brussels on Monday 17 March to follow up the presentation of the Action Plan for Affordable Energy by the European Commission (see EUROPE 13588/3) and to discuss the EU’s energy security architecture.
Affordable energy prices. The first part of the day will be devoted to a debate on the European Commission’s action plan to reduce energy prices, accelerate investment in clean energy, and complete the Energy Union.
The Polish Presidency will ask ministers about short- and medium-term measures to reduce prices (see EUROPE 13596/7), including the Commission’s request for action on energy taxation at national level.
Long-term measures such as cross-border interconnections are likely to also be discussed. Another topic of discussion was the announcement, included in the action plan, of a pilot programme by the European Investment Bank (EIB) to encourage power purchase agreements (PPAs).
Security architecture. In the afternoon, the ministers will discuss the EU’s energy security architecture, with a view to contributing to the Polish Presidency’s conclusions on energy security, which will be presented to the Energy Council in June (see EUROPE 13593/12).
They will specifically discuss regulations for the security of the gas supply and risk preparedness in the electricity sector.
The European Commission plans to revise these regulations at the start of 2026 and opened a public consultation on the subject in September 2024. In particular, the ministers will explore the need for a single legislative framework for both sectors.
Furthermore, the European Commission recently extended the obligations to fill gas storage facilities until the end of 2027 (see EUROPE 13593/11), with the aim of “bridging the gap between the end of the current regulation on gas storage and the potential entry into force of a more permanent framework”, as stated in a EU Council document.
Critical infrastructure. The working lunch will be devoted to critical infrastructure, and will be attended by the Chair of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSO-G), Bart Jan Hoevers, and the Chair of the Board of Directors of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-G), Damian Cortinas.
The ministers are expected to discuss cooperation between transmission system operators (TSOs) and national and European bodies in an effort to improve energy security, as well as cooperation with third countries to better protect the EU’s critical infrastructure.
Other items. Another item for the agenda is the energy situation in Ukraine, which will be discussed in the presence of the Ukrainian Energy Minister, German Galuschenko.
In addition, the European Commission will brief ministers on preparations for next winter, and the Director of the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), Christian Zinglersen, will give a presentation on the development of the EU’s electricity and gas markets.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will present a note on the recent synchronisation of the electricity systems of the Baltic countries with the synchronous area of continental Europe (see EUROPE 13594/4), while the Czech Republic, supported by Hungary, Romania and Slovakia, will call for the requirements of the delegated act on renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) to be reassessed (see EUROPE 13599/22).
The European electricity sector, represented by the association Eureletric, will also publish a letter for the attention of the ministers to express its reactions to the publication of the Clean Industrial Deal and to submit suggestions for strengthening the EU’s energy security (see EUROPE 13580/11). (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)