Cyprius Presidency wants to advance negotiations on new European Grids Package

In line with its motto ‘An autonomous Union, open to the world’, the Cyprus Presidency of the EU Council aims to contribute to creating a “resilient, self-sufficient and truly integrated” Energy Union.

Presented on Sunday 21 December, the detailed priorities of Cyprus - which will hold the EU Council’s rotating Presidency from 1 January 2026 - maintain that the energy sector remains a cornerstone of the EU’s strategic interests, particularly in view of current geopolitical challenges.

The development of energy grids is a key issue for this Mediterranean island country, which is the only EU country not yet connected to the European continent, and whose renewable energy potential is considered untapped.

One of the European Commission’s priority projects, detailed in its Grids Package published on 10 December, concerns precisely the development of the ‘Great Sea Interconnector’ between Greece and Cyprus, aimed at ending the country’s energy isolation (see EUROPE 13773/11).

The Cyprus Presidency is therefore committed to advancing negotiations on this new European package, as well as on the upcoming revision of the security of supply architecture for the Energy Union.

More broadly, the Presidency believes that strengthening interconnections and energy storage are “key enablers” of the transition to clean energy.

 It also wants to continue implementing the affordable energy prices action plan and facilitate discussions on the strategic ‘roadmap’ for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector.

Climate. In terms of EU climate policy, Cyprus is committed to advancing efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. It also wants to push forward discussions on reducing CO₂ emissions from road transport.

It will also seek to promote synergies between the future European Climate Adaptation Plan and the Water Resilience Strategy, “with a view to strengthening Europe’s resilience to climate-related risks and safeguarding the sustainable management of natural resources”.

To see the priorities: https://aeur.eu/f/k4d (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)