On the one hand, there are the detractors of centralised planning of electricity networks (France, Sweden, Poland, Finland, Bulgaria), while on the other, there are countries such as Spain and Portugal who are most in favour of an Energy Union, as presented by the European Commission on 10 December 2025. The question is how these polarised positions can be reconciled. On Wednesday 20 May, the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union will attempt to find common ground on the networks package under discussion within the EU Council’s preparatory bodies (Coreper I).
According to a document, Agence Europe has been able to consult, the Cyprus Presidency will focus discussions around five questions on the two texts in the package, namely the TEN-E regulation, governing trans-European energy infrastructures, and the directive on the granting of permits, in order to identify whether the latest amendments effectively address the concerns of Member States (see EUROPE 13829/13).
A compromise between centralisation and respect for national prerogatives. One of these concerns relates to the ‘central scenario’, i.e. the centralisation of the planning and development of trans-European electricity networks, one of the most sensitive points in the package (see EUROPE 13770/4).
The Cyprus Presidency amended Article 11 of the TEN-E Regulation by specifying that this scenario should be adopted by means of an implementing act, which should take account of national and regional specificities, regular analyses that should be carried out, and the fact that data and assumptions should be verified by Member States.
The amendment to Article 19 concerning the setting aside of Member States’ congestion charges, will also be discussed. This is a sensitive point for Sweden, which opposes the use of 25% of these resources for cross-border projects. The country has also announced its intention to halt the construction of a new electricity cable to Denmark if the proposal remains unchanged.
The compromise proposal excludes internal congestion revenues (i.e. not from interconnections) or revenues received before the entry into force of the regulation from the scope of application, yet specifies the methodology for calculating the amount, the role of the national regulatory authorities and the eligible areas for the use of these funds.
Some Member States have also proposed extending the provisions of the TEN-E regulation concerning the security and resilience of cross-border energy infrastructures, by adding gas transmission and storage networks and the repair of essential energy infrastructures to electricity.
The Cyprus Presidency would like to hear the views of the various delegations on this issue.
A skills issue. One of the central provisions of the revised directive on the granting of permits is to limit the possibility for Member States to identify large areas where the siting of renewable energy projects is not possible, while also respecting heritage. This change would conflict with the principle that spatial planning is a national competence, according to some Member States.
On this point too, the Cyprus Presidency is seeking to reconcile the parties.
Finally, the system of tacit approval of intermediate stages – both in the context of procedures for granting permits and in administrative decisions concerning the TEN-E Regulation – is giving rise to concern among the Member States. The Cyprus authorities are therefore looking for ways to improve it.
The networks package, seen as a potential vector of competitiveness for the European Union, has recently become an urgent item on the European political agenda.
The Cyprus Presidency hopes to reach a political agreement in principle at the Energy Council on 26 June. (Original version in French by Nadège Delépine)