{"id":19816,"date":"2026-03-16T14:25:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:25:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/?p=19816"},"modified":"2026-03-23T15:56:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T13:56:37","slug":"commission-presented-measures-to-increase-eus-energy-independence-and-affordability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/commission-presented-measures-to-increase-eus-energy-independence-and-affordability\/","title":{"rendered":"Commission Presented Measures to Increase EU&#8217;s&nbsp;Energy Independence and Affordability"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>On 10 March 2026, The European Commission presented <strong>initiatives to boost investment in\u00a0homegrown clean energy solutions<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>increase resilience,<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0<strong>reduce energy\u00a0prices<\/strong>.\u00a0They are driven by the need of a step change in the energy system and infrastructure in the EU. Besides the Strategy for the development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in Europe described in the previous article, the initiatives consist of <strong>the Clean Energy Investment Strategy <\/strong>(<strong>\u201cStrategy\u201c<\/strong>), available at this \u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX%3A52026DC0116&amp;qid=1773310237995\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>, and the <strong>Citizens Energy Package <\/strong>(<strong>\u201cEnergy Package\u201c<\/strong>),<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>available at this <a href=\"https:\/\/eur-lex.europa.eu\/legal-content\/EN\/TXT\/?uri=CELEX%3A52026DC0115&amp;qid=1773310492603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>. All three papers underpin also the common understanding that homegrown, clean energy technologies are key to ensuring <strong>reliable and affordable energy and reinforcing the EU&#8217;s&nbsp;leadership in net-zero technologies <\/strong>and that strengthening European content and building a robust EU supply chain is <strong>essential to reduce import dependencies and ensure strategic autonomy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The <strong>Clean Energy Investment Strategy<\/strong> (<strong>\u201eStrategy\u201c<\/strong>) will help bridge the gap between the private capital currently available and the investments needed so that it <strong>could make the most of our own energy sources<\/strong>., It will help de-risk projects and mobilise private finance for grids, innovative clean energy technologies and energy efficiency.<\/p>\n<p>The main characteristics of the Strategy are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Volume of energy-sector investment.<\/strong> The Commission states that EU energy-sector investment needs to rise to around EUR 660 billion per year in 2026\u20132030 and EUR 695 billion per year in 2031\u20132040, compared with an average of about EUR 240 billion per year in 2011\u20132021.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Private investment.<\/strong> The Strategy stresses that public funding alone is insufficient and should mainly be used to reduce risk and attract private capital, including institutional investors and capital-market financing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy infrastructure.<\/strong> A key priority is the modernisation and expansion of energy infrastructure, especially electricity grids, because current financing mechanisms are not yet able to mobilise capital at the necessary speed and scale.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund. <\/strong>The Strategy includes targeted instruments to support investment, including measures to strengthen grid operators\u2019 balance sheets and a Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund to help close capital gaps in major energy-transition projects.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy Transition Investment Council.<\/strong> For implementation, the Commission will establish an Energy Transition Investment Council to connect investors, financial institutions, Member States and the Commission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Role of European Investment Bank. <\/strong>The Commission will deliver this Strategy in close partnership with the\u00a0European Investment Bank (<strong>\u201cEIB\u201c<\/strong>) Group\u00a0which intends to deliver more than EUR 75 billion of financing over the next 3 years in support of the objectives of clean energy transition. In particular, the EIB Group will make a commitment with an indicative amount of up to EUR 500 million to the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund. This will provide anchor capital to invest in specific energy infrastructure projects, providing a financial boost to the objectives of <strong>the\u00a0European Grids Package<\/strong>, available at this <a href=\"https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/commission\/presscorner\/detail\/en\/ip_25_2945\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">link<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Cheaper energy is key to support our industry and competitiveness. But Europe also needs an energy system that puts citizens at the centre &#8211; to deliver more affordable energy and support most vulnerable consumers. <strong>With the\u00a0<\/strong><strong>Energy Package,\u00a0the Commission\u00a0proposes concrete actions to reduce energy bills, empower citizens to produce and share their own clean energy and fight against energy poverty<\/strong>. Consumers can benefit from faster supplier switching, lower taxes and levies on their electricity bills, and more transparent information on energy bills and contracts.<\/p>\n<p>The main characteristics the Energy Package of are as follows:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Four pillars<\/strong>. The package is built around four pillars: lowering household energy bills, protecting and empowering consumers, tackling energy poverty and vulnerability, and improving implementation of existing EU energy law.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Clean domestic electricity.<\/strong> A central message is that affordable energy in Europe should increasingly come from clean domestic electricity, with stronger electrification, more attractive tax treatment for electricity, and wider use of flexibility tools such as smart meters and smart charging.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Highhousehold energy prices.<\/strong> The Commission highlights that household energy prices remain high: retail electricity prices for EU households are 36% above the 2014-2020 average, while retail gas prices are 68% above that average. One proposed response is to reduce electricity taxes and levies where Member States can do so under EU rules.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Consumer protection.<\/strong> On consumer protection, the package promotes clearer contract information, faster supplier switching, stronger protection against aggressive or misleading marketing, and a voluntary code of service for energy suppliers to improve trust and service quality.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Energy poverty.<\/strong> A major social objective is to reduce energy poverty. The document notes that in 2024 around 42 million Europeans (9.2% of the EU population) were unable to adequately heat their homes, so the Commission plans additional guidance, technical support, and LIFE-funded projects for national, regional and local authorities.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Risk of disconnections for vulnerable households.<\/strong> The package also addresses the risk of disconnections for vulnerable households. The Commission wants Member States and stakeholders to develop early-warning systems, debt-management approaches and practical safeguards to protect citizens who struggle to pay energy bills.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Uneven implementation as a chronic challenge.<\/strong> More broadly, the document stresses that the EU already has a substantial legal framework in place, but that uneven implementation prevents citizens from fully benefiting from their rights; local authorities are therefore given an important role in delivery and outreach.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On 10 March 2026, The European Commission presented initiatives to boost investment in\u00a0homegrown clean energy solutions,\u00a0increase resilience,\u00a0and\u00a0reduce energy\u00a0prices.\u00a0They are driven by the need &#8230; <a class=\"cz_readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/commission-presented-measures-to-increase-eus-energy-independence-and-affordability\/\"><i class=\"fa fa-angle-right\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/i><span>\u010c\u00edst v\u00edce<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19814,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","iawp_total_views":0},"categories":[577],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19816"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19816"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19817,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19816\/revisions\/19817"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19814"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cbcsd.cz\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}