The goal of a resilient Energy Union with an ambitious climate policy at its core is to give Union consumers, including households and businesses, secure, sustainable, competitive and affordable energy, and to foster research and innovation by means of attracting investment, which requires a fundamental transformation of Europe's energy system.
The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) was established in March 2011 by the Third Energy Package legislation as an independent body to foster the integration and completion of the European Internal Energy Market for electricity and natural gas.
The mission of the Euratom Supply Agency (ESA) is to maintain regular and equitable supply of nuclear materials (ores, source material and special fissile material) for all users in the European Atomic Energy Community.
The provision of low carbon energy to our society is a key issue at the heart of sustainable development of global energy supply. The Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) Journal publishes original research on theories and developments as well practical applications on principles of large scale low carbon energy generation, transmission, distribution & storage technologies, global energy interconnection & system developments, global energy policy and energy market operations, global climate changes & environmental impacts, global energy transition strategies and global energy governance.
Smart Energy is an international, multi-disciplinary journal with a focus on smart energy systems design, analysis, planning and modelling. The journal aims to be a leading platform and an authoritative source of information related to the green transformation of energy supply and demand systems into future smart renewable energy and sustainable solutions.
End-of-life of renewable energy technologies in urban environments. A state-of-the-art on installation trends, materials, and best practices in the EU; Marilena De Simone et al.; Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments; October 2025; Volume 82
The European Commission is promoting the production of thermal energy and electricity from renewable sources, coupled with storage systems, to decarbonize the built environment. However, these technologies use prevalently virgin raw materials, and end-of-life (EoL) circular frameworks are still difficult to be implemented due to technical, regulatory, and market barriers. This paper aims to present a state-of-the-art on the trends in installation, materials, EoL strategies, and companies active in renewable energy systems recycling. Solar, wind, and geothermal sources are examples of technologies easily incorporated into cities. The purpose is to provide information to stakeholders that should design technical solutions according to circularity criteria. The information, from both scientific and grey literature, showed that solar technologies represent the most widespread type of systems, with a considerable number of best practices and companies specialized in recycling. Wind technology follows in installation trends and activity of reuse-oriented companies. Geothermal, on the other hand, offers a reduced number of reference examples. Furthermore, this review provides an overview of the installation and potential EoL scenarios of electrical and thermal energy storage systems, highlighting significant differences in the implementation of circularity strategies. The study closes with considerations and suggestions for practical applications.
The economic and geostrategic role of LNG in EU energy transition; Sara Casagrande, Bruno Dallago; Structural Change and Economic Dynamics; September 2025; Volume 74, p. 387-404
Since 2010s, the EU promotes decarbonization and energy security as strategic goals. However, a fundamental impetus came with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU promoted a drastic reduction of Russian gas import, massive import of liquefied natural gas (LNG), investments in the LNG value chain, reduction of energy demand, and green transition. This article analyses the rise of the LNG market, its contradictions and challenges. According to results, LNG rise has been determined more by geopolitical factors than economic ones, that can be traced back to the impact of the shale gas revolution on the EU-Russia relations. Indeed, LNG convenience compared to pipeline gas is threatened by market volatility and various costs peculiar to LNG. Currently, the massive import of LNG has not solved the problem of energy dependence and cost, does not fully compensate for the gas supply gap and threatens the credibility of the climate agenda.
Navigating the energy transition in the EU: Renewables, critical raw materials and emerging vulnerabilities; Seynabou Gueye, Fatih Karanfil, Luc Désiré Omgba; Ecological Economics; November 2025; Volume 237; p. 108696
Recent geopolitical tensions, particularly the Russia-Ukraine war, along with intensified global efforts to achieve net-zero emissions, have highlighted the need to address both energy security and dependence on imported hydrocarbons. As countries transition toward more sustainable and resilient energy systems, conventional wisdom suggests that increasing renewable energy adoption enhances energy security for net energy importers. Within the European Union (EU) context and considering technological advancements, evolving climate policies, EU directives, climate initiatives, and UN COP agreements, we empirically examine this perspective. Contrary to the prevailing assumption that higher renewable energy output directly enhances energy security, our findings suggest that without simultaneously securing the supply of critical raw materials, renewables alone may not sufficiently address energy vulnerabilities. We examine the structural factors underlying this outcome and discuss the policy implications for achieving a secure green energy transition in the EU.
When EU goes local: An analysis of the alignment between EU and national energy policies and the needs of local energy initiatives; J. Liljenfeldt et al.; Energy Policy; October 2025; Volume 205; p. 114681
Despite the EU's promotion of citizen ownership of the energy transition, the impact of such policies on locally initiated energy projects remains mixed. In the study, we explore how EU and Member State energy policies both hinder and enable development of locally based energy projects. Specifically, we study how policies with different underlying rationales (conceptualized as spatially-blind and place-based policies) relate to the needs and challenges faced by people engaged in local energy initiative. The study employs a case study research design, examining four local energy initiatives in Sweden and Denmark, with a focus on diverse ownership models and energy technologies, including solar parks, biogas production, offshore wind power, and hydropower activities. Similarly, the investigation featured three workshop sessions with people involved in local energy policy. The results suggest that EU and state-level energy-related policies (e.g. tax laws, environmental permit regulations, or national infrastructure prioritizations) present significant obstacles for community energy initiatives, affecting their establishment, and potential for growth. Although these policies are essential for integrating long-term environmental considerations and human rights into the decision-making process, they can actually deter local energy projects that contribute positively to the community. Thus, the findings contribute to the development of more coherent policies.
AI and the energy sector; Agnieszka Widuto; 2025; EPRS; Briefing
Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionising many sectors of the economy, including the energy sector. The exponential growth of data centres around the world and in Europe is driving up electricity demand, raising questions about its impact on existing infrastructure and on sustainability. At the same time, AI can help transform energy systems by boosting energy efficiency, facilitating the integration of renewables and optimising electricity networks. According to the International Energy Agency, data centres currently account for only 1.5 % of global electricity consumption, but their electricity demand is expected to more than double by 2030. In the EU, data centres account for around 3 % of total electricity demand, but this varies between countries and is over 20 % in Ireland. AI-focused data centres tend to cluster in geographical locations, contributing to pressure on local grids and involving trade-offs with climate goals, land use and energy affordability. (...)
EU electricity grids; Saša Butorac; 2025; EPRS; Briefing
The modernisation and expansion of electricity grids lies at the heart of the EU's energy transition and decarbonisation efforts. In the context of the rising share of electricity in final energy consumption, there is increasing demand for grid upgrades to accommodate the new generation capacity and to adapt, in particular, to the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources. Key concerns include ageing infrastructure, investment shortfalls, and regulatory complexities that hinder rapid modernisation of grids and efficient integration of decentralised energy production. Interconnectivity between EU Member States is important to ensure energy security and reliability: the integration of European electricity markets benefits consumers by up to €34 billion every year.
Energy dimension of the Clean Industrial Deal; Agnieszka Widuto; 2025; EPRS; Briefing
On 26 February 2025, the European Commission presented the Clean Industrial Deal, a new EU plan to support competitiveness and decarbonisation of EU industry. The Deal focuses mainly on energy-intensive industries and clean technologies (clean tech). Both sectors face high energy prices, intense global competition and complex regulations. The Clean Industrial Deal includes several solutions to address this situation. It aims to bring energy costs down, boost demand for clean products, reduce EU dependency on raw materials, improve circularity and restore domestic manufacturing. Planned legislative initiatives in the energy field include a new electricity grids package, revisions of the energy security framework and Energy Union governance, as well as an Industrial Decarbonisation Accelerator Act and a delegated act on low-carbon hydrogen. Recommendations and guidance documents are also planned, for instance on network charges, energy taxation and the design of long-term instruments for electricity supply. In the short term, the Clean Industrial Deal aims to mobilise over €100 billion through boosting EU-level funding, leveraging private investments and enhancing State aid. The key EU funding sources will be the Innovation Fund, Horizon Europe, InvestEU and a new Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. In the next long-term EU budget, the Competitiveness Fund will support EU investments in research and innovation, industrial deployment and scale-up, manufacturing, clean tech and industrial decarbonisation. The European Parliament is currently working on a resolution on the Clean Industrial Deal. The vote in the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) is expected in June 2025, while the plenary vote is planned for July 2025.
Energy transition; Agnieszka Widuto; 2024; EPRS; Briefing
Energy transition is centralto the European Union's ambition to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The EU greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets - 55 % by 2030 and net-zero by 2050 - have accelerated the move away from fossil fuels towards cleaner energy sources and increased energy efficiency. The REPowerEU plan and other EU measures launched in response to the energy crisis meanwhile brought to the fore the importance of ensuring energy security and energy affordability. Existing EU legislation in support of energy transition includes the recently revised Renewable Energy Directive, the Energy Efficiency Directive and the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. These laws set targets for renewables in consumption, energy efficiency and building renovations. The recently adopted hydrogen and decarbonised gas market package, along with the electricity market reform, also promote the use of cleaner energy and integration of renewables into the EU energy system (...)
Energy poverty in the EU; Agnieszka Widuto; 2023; EPRS; Briefing
In 2022, over 41 million Europeans were unable to keep their homes adequately warm. Energy poverty is a multi-dimensional phenomenon, considered to be caused by a combination of low income, high energy expenses, and poor energy efficiency in buildings. The EU has been addressing this issue in various legislative and non-legislative initiatives, most recently in the context of its climate policies and energy transition, as well as the energy crisis. The Gas and Electricity Directives ensure the protection of vulnerable consumers, and the Energy Efficiency and Energy Efficiency of Buildings Directives require measures to alleviate energy poverty alongside efficiency efforts. The 'renovation wave' initiative under the European Green Deal aims to boost structural renovation in private and public buildings, while the Social Climate Fund includes households in energy poverty among its main beneficiaries. The Social Climate Fund regulation and the revised Energy Efficiency Directive define energy poverty as a household's lack of access to essential energy services, such as heating, hot water, cooling, lighting and energy to power appliances. (…)
EU energy infrastructure: Boosting energy security; Agnieszka Widuto; 2023; EPRS; Briefing
In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing energy crisis, the EU has undertaken a number of steps to develop its energy infrastructure. These included diversifying import routes, developing energy networks and improving cross-border interconnections. The EU legislative framework on energy infrastructure is based on the Regulation on trans-European networks for energy (TEN E). It sets out guidelines for EU cross-border infrastructure, including projects of common interest (PCIs) to improve energy interconnections between countries. Every two years, the European Commission publishes a delegated act with an updated PCI list, then submits this to the European Parliament and Council for approval. The next list is expected in November 2023. Energy system integration and interconnections help improve energy security and energy systems' resilience. At EU level, interconnection targets currently only exist for electricity (a general target of 15 % electricity interconnectivity by 2030 and a target of 70 % reserved for cross-zonal capacity by 2025). The EU provides funding for various types of cross-border energy interconnections, for instance from the Connecting Europe Facility and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The EU energy infrastructure is undergoing a transformation in line with the green transition set out in the European Green Deal, and the energy security priorities outlined in the REPowerEU plan. (...)
More EP Think Tank publications on Energy
The content of all documents contained in the Think Tank website is the sole responsibility of the author and any opinions expressed therein do not necessarily represent the official position of the European Parliament. It is addressed to the Members and staff of the EP for their parliamentary work.
Fact Sheets on the European Union - Energy policy: general principles
The Fact Sheets are designed to provide non-specialists with a straightforward, concise and accurate overview of the European Union’s institutions and policies, and the role that the European Parliament plays in their development. Drafted by the policy departments and the Economic Governance Support Unit, the Fact Sheets are available in 24 languages.
Legislative Train - A European Green Deal
The ‘Legislative Train Schedule’ website – offering a detailed state-of-play on upcoming initiatives, legislative proposals and procedures already finalised, as well as issues blocked or files withdrawn – continues to present new European Commission initiatives using the railway image. The aim is to facilitate the followup by all Members, Parliament staff and a broader public audience of the legislative and non-legislative activity of the EU institutions.
Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) on Energy
STOA mainly carries out its mission by conducting Technology Assessment and Scientific Foresight projects and organising events.
Directorate-General for Energy
The European Commission web page gives an overview of EU energy policy, description of related topics, data, providing publications, news and much more:
Consilium - Energy
This page gives an overview of the latest and upcoming meetings, press releases and policies related to the work of the Council and the European Council in the area of energy.
Auswirkungen des Clean Industrial Deal; Walter Frenz; Natur und Recht; 2025; Volume 47; p. 318–321
Der Clean Industrial Deal sorgt für eine weitere Stärkung der EU-Wettbewerbsfähigkeit, ohne die Dekarbonisierung außer Acht zu lassen. Vielmehr sorgt er für eine Versöhnung von Klimaschutz und wirtschaftlichen Bedürfnissen. Das Gleichgewicht steht im Vordergrund. So sollen energieintensive Branchen entlastet werden und die sauberen Energien und damit der Ökostrom ausgebaut werden. Die Kreislaufwirtschaft wird entscheidend gestärkt und so die Produktion in Bahnen gelenkt, in denen verstärkt Sekundärrohstofe eingesetzt werden können – ohne dass die Primärrohstofe verzichtbar sind: so soll der Durchführung des CRMA Vorrang eingeräumt werden. Insgesamt geht es um eine nachhaltige Zukunft für das verarbeitende Gewerbe – wirtschaftlich, ökologisch und sozial.
La retirada y modificación inter se del Tratado sobre la Carta de la Energía: una respuesta ante su obsolescencia e incompatibilidad con el derecho de la Unión Europea; Dorina C. Suciu Gavriloaie; Revista de Derecho Comunitario Europeo; 81; 243-283
La presente contribución tiene por objeto examinar en mayor profundidad la obsolescencia del TCE frente a la urgente agenda climática y la política de inversiones de la UE y, de manera más significativa, ahondar en su incompatibilidad con el principio de autonomía del derecho de la UE. A partir de este análisis, se argumenta, en primer lugar, que la retirada del TCE viene a aliviar las crecientes demandas de abandonar un tratado que obstaculiza la autonomía regulatoria de las partes. Toda vez que algunos de los desafíos jurídicos que plantea el TCE permanecen vigentes incluso tras la formalización de la retirada, el 26 de junio de 2024, la UE y veintiséis de sus Estados miembros —con la excepción de Hungría— firmaron la Declaración Komstroy y rubricaron un acuerdo inter se. Estos instrumentos están destinados a neutralizar los efectos de la cláusula de supervivencia y a resolver las tensiones latentes entre el derecho de la UE y los arbitrajes intra-UE a raíz de la jurisprudencia Komstroy. En consecuencia, en segundo término, esta contribución abordará los interrogantes jurídicos que suscitan estos instrumentos y valorará los efectos que cabe razonablemente esperar, a la luz de la Convención de Viena sobre el Derecho de los Tratados y la jurisprudencia arbitral que aborda las objeciones intra-UE.
Accroître la flexibilité du système énergétique de l’UE : Technologies et politiques pour l’intégration des sources d’électricité renouvelables; João Gorenstein Dedecca et al.; Département thématique pour la transformation, l’innovation et la santé Direction générale de l’économie, de la transformation et de l’industrie; 2025; étude
Le système énergétique de l’Union est confronté à de nouveaux défis en raison de plusieurs évolutions en cours, telles que la part croissante des sources d’énergie renouvelables (SER), qui devrait atteindre au moins 42,5 % (et peut-être jusqu’à 45 %) de la consommation totale d’énergie en 20301 . Selon les projections réalisées par la Commission européenne, le secteur de l’électricité devrait, en fonction des scénarios envisagés, atteindre une part de 69 à 83 % d’électricité produite à partir de sources d’énergie renouvelables d’ici 20302 . Le développement massif des SER variables (principalement l’énergie solaire et éolienne) pose des problèmes au système énergétique, notamment du fait de leur variabilité et de leur propension à provoquer des congestions et des déséquilibres dans le réseau. Il s’agit là du principal facteur à l’origine des besoins de flexibilité supplémentaires. (...)
L’abandon progressif de l’énergie russe, Nord Stream et la souveraineté énergétique de l’UE; Agnieszka Widuto; EPRS; 2025; En bref - Plénière
Dans le prolongement du plan REPowerEU adopté en réponse à la crise énergétique en 2022, la Commission a proposé, le 6 mai 2025, une «feuille de route visant à mettre un terme aux importations d’énergie russe». Cette feuille de route présente des mesures visant à abandonner progressivement les importations de gaz, de pétrole et d’approvisionnements nucléaires russes d’ici à 2027. Il s’agit de la dernière initiative en date d’une série d’efforts qu’a déployés l’Union européenne pour réaffirmer sa souveraineté énergétique. Au cours de la période de session de mai II, le Parlement tiendra un débat sur les déclarations du Conseil et de la Commission à ce sujet.
Änderung der Verordnung im Hinblick auf die Gasspeicherung; Agnieszka Widuto; 2025; EPRS; Auf einen Blick - Plenum
Durch die Gasspeicherung entsteht eine wertvolle Reserve bei starker Nachfrage oder bei Versorgungsunterbrechungen. So muss weniger zusätzliches Gas importiert werden und wird zur Stabilisierung der Energiepreise beigetragen. Im März 2025 schlug die Kommission vor, die während der Energiekrise 2022 angenommene Verordnung im Hinblick auf die Gasspeicherung zu ändern und ihre Geltungsdauer bis Ende 2027 zu verlängern. Auf der Juli-Plenartagung soll das Europäische Parlament über den Text abstimmen, der im Trilog mit dem Rat vereinbart wurde.
Energie zwischen Markt und Geopolitik: Der Fall LNG - Herausforderungen für die EU und Deutschland seit Russlands Krieg in der Ukraine; Jacopo Maria Pepe; Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP); März 2025
Eine globale Energierevolution: Erneuerbare Energien setzen sich weltweit durch; Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung; September 2025
Un cadre européen pour les aides d’État en faveur du pacte industriel propre: Analyse des défis et recommandations de réforme; Andreas Eisl; Institut Jacques Delors; février 2025
La fin de la crise des prix de l'énergie ne doit pas sonner la fin de la transition énergétique; Valérie Plagnol; Fondation Robert Schuman; avril 2025
La précarité énergétique en France et en Allemagne: Deux consensus sociaux distincts; Rachel Guyet; Fondation Friedrich-Ebert; février 2025
The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
The Oxford Institute for Energy Studies is a world leading independent energy research institute specialising in advanced research into the economics and geopolitics of the energy transition and international energy across oil, gas and electricity markets.
The Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy
The Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) is a non-for-profit, independent research organisation.
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy
European Council for an Energy Efficient Economy provides analysis of policies in the field of energy efficiency.
IEA – International Energy Agency
Find out more about countries, sectors and related policies:
UN-Energy is the United Nations' mechanism for inter-agency collaboration in the field of energy.
Find out more about the topic of the energy security and the role of NATO in this field. Browse through news, publications and and official texts.
EU Climate Diplomacy
by
The European Union has long played a leadership role in the global response to climate change, including the development and dissemination of climate-friendly technologies such as renewable energy. EU diplomacy has been a vital contributor to the development of international cooperation on climate change through the agreement of the United Nations Climate Convention, its Kyoto Protocol and, most recently, the Paris Agreement. In addition, the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States means that the EU contribution to climate diplomacy will become more important still, both in filling the leadership gap (together with other major economies) and in responding to any sabotage by the Trump administration. This book will extend knowledge of the EU as a key actor in climate diplomacy by bringing together leading practitioners and researchers in this field to take stock of the EU's current role and emerging issues. Contributions will be grouped into three strands: 1) the interplay between EU climate diplomacy and internal EU politics; 2) how the EU's legal order is a factor that determines, enables and constrains its climate diplomacy; and 3) the EU's contribution to diplomacy concerning climate technology both under the Climate Convention and more broadly. Collectively, these contributions will chart the EU's role at a critical time of transition and uncertainty in the international response to climate change. EU Climate Diplomacy: Politics, Law and Negotiationswill be of great relevance to students, scholars and policymakers with an interest in international climate politics and policy, transnational environmental law and politics and EU studies more generally. he interplay between EU climate diplomacy and internal EU politics; 2) how the EU's legal order is a factor that determines, enables and constrains its climate diplomacy; and 3) the EU's contribution to diplomacy concerning climate technology both under the Climate Convention and more broadly. Collectively, these contributions will chart the EU's role at a critical time of transition and uncertainty in the international response to climate change. EU Climate Diplomacy: Politics, Law and Negotiationswill be of great relevance to students, scholars and policymakers with an interest in international climate politics and policy, transnational environmental law and politics and EU studies more generally.
Burning Up
by
Coal, gas, and oil have powered our societies for hundreds of years. But the pace at which we use them changed dramatically in the twentieth century: of all the fossil fuels ever consumed, more than half were burnt up in the past fifty years alone, the vast majority of that within a single generation. Most worrying of all, this dramatic acceleration has occurred against the backdrop of an increasingly unanimous scientific consensus: that their environmental impact is devastating and potentially irreversible. In Burning Up, Simon Pirani recounts the history of the relentless rise of fossil fuels in the past half century, and lays out the ways in which the expansion of the global capitalist economy has driven it forward. Dispelling common explanations that foreground Western consumerism, as well as arguments about unsustainable population growth, Pirani offers instead an insightful intervention in what is arguably the crisis of our time.
Perspectives for Geothermal Energy in Europe
by
The potential for energy transformation from geothermal heat is limitless. For millennia natural sources of this energy, in the form of thermal springs, have been used by populations for heating, cooking and bathing. Modern-day usage has been extended to electricity generation from binary cycle power plants, heat extraction from geothermal heat pumps and use in greenhouses for industrial crop growing. Perspectives for Geothermal Energy in Europe highlights the status of geothermal energy in countries where natural sources of this energy are available. It concludes with a presentation of current geothermal policy and regulations within Europe, and discussion of how this fits in with the EU Energy and Climate Framework.Suitable for students, academics and practitioners in the fields of energy studies, geology and the earth sciences, electrical engineering and environmental economics, this book is the first comprehensive review of the practicalities of geothermal extraction and use in Europe.
Books can be consulted upon request sent to Library@europarl.europa.eu at:
Info Hub Brussels
Esplanade Solidarność 1980
B-1050 Brussels, Belgium
Monday-Friday 9:00-18:00
EP Library catalogue will give you access to a large multilingual collection of information sources, focusing on European policies, law, economics and international relations. Find search results (open access) related to the subject of this guide.
By installing the Citizens' App, you’ll learn who does what in the EU, how all of this is relevant to your daily life and what challenges the EU faces, many of which will shape your future.
Have a question? Then simply contact the Ask EP service, which will try its best to provide an answer about the activities, powers and organisation of the European Parliament.
*Except for some images
