At European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg on Tuesday 16 December, MEPs debated the provisional agreement reached with the EU Council on 3 December regarding the ‘REPowerEU’ regulation for a gradual phase-out of Russian fossil fuels until September 2027 (see EUROPE 13770/5).
While a large majority of MEPs across the political spectrum welcomed the outcome of the negotiations, some on the far right expressed doubts about the guarantee of energy security. Others have warned against creating new dependencies on fossil gas imports, particularly from the United States.
In response to these concerns, European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen once again gave assurances that the Commission would ensure that all Member States, “including those opposed to this legislation” (Hungary and Slovakia), receive the best possible assistance in the coming months so that the new legislation does not lead to price increases.
The previous day, in a joint vote by the ITRE and INTA parliamentary committees, MEPs approved the Interinstitutional Agreement by 92 votes to 17 with 4 abstentions, leaving little room for doubt that the main political groups (EPP, S&D, Renew Europe, ECR, Greens/EFA and part of The Left) will give it similar support in the final plenary vote on Wednesday 17 December.
The EU Council still has to formally approve its position. An initial confirmation from the Permanent Representatives of the Member States to the EU was given on 10 December (see EUROPE 13770/5). This will be followed by a formal vote by European ministers, probably in early 2026. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)