18
Jun
2025
Watch
Electricity grids: the backbone of the EU energy system (debate)
Madam President, Commissioner, energy prices in Europe remain particularly high compared to our global competitors, but there are also significant differences between the Member States themselves. Particularly in Greece and south-eastern Europe, energy costs remain even higher, disproportionately affecting citizens and businesses. This social and economic divide cannot continue. We need targeted measures to reduce prices and restore balance and cohesion between Member States. In January 2025, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis proposed the creation of a task force to better coordinate energy policy and accelerate the energy union. We welcome its recommendation on 16 June. The modernisation and interconnectivity of networks is key to this effort. The Network Action Plan is moving in the right direction, but the challenge now is its swift and coherent implementation. As early as the March 2023 summit, Greece tabled concrete proposals to interconnect, speed up licensing and create a single European Network Fund. The Commission estimates that EUR 584 billion will be needed by 2030 for transmission and distribution networks. Today's funds are not enough. They need to be strengthened and private investment leveraged. The network strategy is not technical, it is energy, industrial, social and geopolitical and must become a frontline political priority.