On Wednesday 22 April, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, and the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, presented the Commission’s plan for dealing with the sharp rise in oil and gas prices caused by the war in the Middle East.
“This crisis is probably as serious as those of 1973 and 2022 combined. We can expect some very difficult months, if not years”, warned Danish Social Democrat Dan Jørgensen right away.
The AccelerateEU communication, the leitmotiv of which remains the objective of reducing the EU’s dependence on fossil fuels, does not in itself have legislative force. But the text plans a series of measures for the coming weeks. The plan, which responds to a request made by the Heads of State and Government at the last European Council, on 19 March, is due to be discussed by the EU leaders meeting in Cyprus, on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 April (see EUROPE 13854/4).
Its content remains very close to the preliminary draft published by Agence Europe on 15 April (see EUROPE 13849/2).
The communication is therefore divided into five parts. The actions planned within the first two are intended to “produce rapid benefits” in order to limit the impact of rising energy prices on consumers and businesses.
European coordination on gas and oil stocks. The European Commission’s first priority is better European coordination of gas stocks and the release of strategic oil reserves. As far as gas is concerned, as the filling season gets underway in preparation for next winter, and with EU reserves below the levels seen at the same time in 2025 (around 30% today, compared with 35% a year ago, according to Commission figures), the Commission intends to build on the tools used during the 2022 crisis, such as the Gas Coordination Group. In particular, the intention is to avoid “price spikes due to increased simultaneous purchasing” in the markets.
To limit pressure on prices, the Commission is also encouraging “Member States are encouraged to make use of flexibility in gas storage filling” under the EU Gas Storage Regulation.
In practical terms, the EU27 can fill a little less than expected (80%, instead of the usual 90%). The institution “stands ready to assess” a further 5% cut, to 75%.
Specific initiatives are also envisaged for the supply of kerosene at a time when airports are warning of a possible shortage (see EUROPE 13854/2).
Finally, the Commission mentions a possible future revision of the Oil Stocks Directive “to address weaknesses identified in the current crisis (...)”.
Protecting consumers and industries from price shocks. The Commission once again calls on the Member States to stick to budgetary support measures that are “timely, targeted and temporary”, without excessively damaging public finances and without sacrificing decarbonisation.
The aim is to “avoid the mistakes of the past”, while the emergency measures taken in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022-2023 cost 2.2% of Europe’s combined GDP, according to a recent note from the Commission’s Directorate-General for Energy. Only a quarter of this sum actually benefited vulnerable households.
But once again, some countries are taking measures that are temporary but not targeted. On Monday 13 April, for example, the German government announced a two-month tax cut on petrol and diesel for all motorists, which will cost the federal budget €1.6 billion.
“Any measure that directly or indirectly subsidises the consumption of fossil fuels must be temporary and targeted”, stressed Dan Jørgensen.
The Commissioner preferred to highlight policies considered to be more virtuous, as they offer the “dual benefit” of helping consumers while accelerating the energy transition. He cited, in no particular order, Austria’s proposal to provide aid to less well-off households to replace gas boilers, or the tax reductions introduced by Germany and Belgium to encourage the installation of heat pumps.
The Commission also plans to present a “catalogue of (possible) measures” to reduce fossil fuel consumption on 13 May. While the International Energy Agency has recommended the use of teleworking, lower speed limits on roads and alternating traffic in cities, the Commission does not want to appear to be dictating these measures, which fall within the remit of the Member States.
On the subject of a possible tax on the ‘superprofits’ of oil and gas companies, the institution is also leaving the matter up to the Member States. Five of these countries (Germany, Austria, Italy, Portugal and Spain) had called for such a system at European level (see EUROPE 13843/5), as had many members of the European Parliament and civil society.
While Teresa Ribera seemed to be very much in favour of the principle on Wednesday, the Spanish Socialist stressed the difficulty of achieving the unanimity of the 27 Member States required in the area of taxation.
Accelerating the transition to locally produced clean energy and electrification. The last three parts of the communication are designed to “deliver long-term benefits”. While over 70% of electricity is now generated from renewables and nuclear power, the Commission regrets that electricity currently accounts for less than a quarter of final energy consumption in the EU. An action plan for the electrification of uses to replace oil, gas and fossil fuels in the transport, building and industrial sectors will be presented in June.
Finally, the communication sets out a number of initiatives to strengthen the energy system, in particular electricity grid infrastructure, and to stimulate private investment in the green transition.
To consult the European Commission’s communication on the ‘AccelerateEU’ plan: https://aeur.eu/f/lni (Original version in French by Clément Solal)