The Commission presented a proposal on Wednesday, 22 April, in response to the energy crisis, covering State Aid, concluding the Grids Package and measures (including increasing telework) to reduce system pressure. AccelerateEU is the Commission’s toolbox to bring immediate relief to European households and industries, while putting Europe on a steady pathway to energy independence.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, stated: “Our AccelerateEU strategy will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses. We must accelerate the shift to homegrown, clean energies. This will give us energy independence and security, and mean we are better able to weather geopolitical storms.”
The Commission has proposed the following actions:
Coordination
Ensuring that measures at MS level will be done in full coordination. National emergency measures and measures aimed at ensuring the availability of jet fuel and diesel, including the availability of oil refinery production capacities, should be closely coordinated.
Fuel Observatory
This will be established to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels, identifying potential shortages.
Temporary Measures
The Commission will adopt a State Aid Temporary Framework, providing additional flexibility for national governments, including emergency measures to support the most exposed economic sectors.
Accelerating Shift to Homegrown Clean Energy
The Commission will present an Electrification Action Plan by summer, to include an ambitious electrification target and measures to remove barriers to the electrification of the industrial, transport, and building sectors.
Grids System
The Commission will ensure that negotiations on the European Grids Package are concluded swiftly as well as maximising existing renewable energy.
Boosting Investments
The Commission will assist MS to make maximum use of available EU funding. The Commission also plans to organise a Clean Energy Investment Summit to bring together the financial services industry, including major institutional investors, industrial leaders, project developers and public financiers to accelerate private financing.
The Commission’s AccelerateEU package highlights a dual-track approach, combining short-term crisis management with longer-term structural reform. It aims to stabilise energy supply and shield vulnerable sectors. The effectiveness of the package will depend on Member State coordination during ongoing geopolitical instability.
