22. 04. 2026
AUTHOR: Strategic Perspectives
The European Commission today launched an emergency energy package to shield the EU economy from market volatility triggered by the war in Iran. The AccelerateEU package aims to decouple European energy bills from global swings in fossil fuel prices through four priority channels: accelerated electrification, reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels, coordination of gas storage, and support for short-term relief measures for vulnerable sectors. The initiative comes ahead of tomorrow’s informal meeting of the European Council, where EU leaders are set to address the impact of the war in the Middle East on European energy security.
Director Neil Makaroff analysed:
“The Commission recognises that no subsidies for gas or fuel prices can shield households and businesses from recurring geopolitical shocks as effectively as the shift to electric vehicles, heat pumps and batteries. Electrification of at least 50% of the economy is the most credible exit plan from the energy crisis. The next step is for national governments to recognise that security no longer lies in more fossil fuel supply, but in electricity, and for the Commission to include this new reality into its Energy Strategy Framework.”
Energy Analyst Marin Gillot added:
“AccelerateEU is a step in the right direction, as it finally puts electrification at the heart of Europe’s response to the crisis. Targeted support will be essential in the short term to protect vulnerable households and businesses. But lasting protection will only come from reducing structural exposure to fossil fuel markets, with measures like social leasing for electric vehicles and lower electricity prices for heat pumps as key enablers. Ultimately, it requires electrifying at least half of the EU economy by 2040.”
On the upcoming informal meeting of the European Council, Executive Director Linda Kalcher commented:
“It’s high time leaders focus on the real solutions to the energy crisis instead of using climate policies as a scapegoat for own shortcomings. The facts speak for themselves: Spanish electricity is 7 times cheaper than Italian, and the Emission Trading System can’t be the reason for that. As global electrification accelerates, the EU should catch up and bring those leaders on board who behave like ghost riders going against this trend.“
Media contact: Mirta Baselovic
Photo credit: European Union , 2025
