European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has urged member states to provide immediate support to citizens and businesses struggling with high energy costs. Speaking to the European Parliament plenary ahead of an upcoming leaders summit, she warned that soaring fuel prices have added 100 billion euros in financial pressure across Europe.
According to von der Leyen, natural gas prices have surged by 140 percent since late February, while diesel prices have doubled over the same period. She noted that these price spikes are putting immense pressure on commercial enterprises and making it difficult for households to pay their utility bills.
The European Commission serves as the executive branch of the 27-nation European Union, responsible for proposing legislation and implementing decisions. The European Parliament, which holds plenary sessions in Strasbourg and Brussels, represents the bloc's directly elected legislative assembly, while the European Council brings together national leaders to set overarching policy priorities.
Von der Leyen stressed that European Union member states need immediate assistance to manage short-term pressures, while medium and long-term measures must focus on resolving structural challenges and strengthening energy resilience across the continent.
Short term relief for member states
Addressing national responses, von der Leyen emphasized that energy needs vary significantly across the European Union because each country relies on a different energy mix. She stated that there is no single solution for the entire bloc.
To illustrate the disparity, she explained that the exact same megawatt-hour of electricity can cost 145 euros in a nation heavily dependent on natural gas, compared to just 70 euros in a country with a higher share of nuclear power and renewable energy sources.
She said the role of European authorities is to provide national governments with the necessary tools and flexibility to respond effectively. She spoke in favor of targeted assistance for households in greatest need, citing energy vouchers introduced in France and Romania as key examples of targeted intervention.
Targeted energy vouchers and direct subsidies have become common mechanisms across European countries attempting to mitigate severe cost-of-living impacts for low-income residents without destabilizing broader wholesale energy markets.
Global supply and joint purchasing
Regarding overall fuel supplies, von der Leyen highlighted international coordination efforts, stating that the Group of Seven major economies agreed to make 100 million barrels of diesel and crude oil available to stabilize energy markets.
The Group of Seven, or G7, is an informal bloc of industrialised nations that includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with the European Union participating as a non-enumerated member in its discussions.
She added that the European Union will extend regulatory flexibility for exporters regarding methane emissions for another year. European officials will also launch a strategic dialogue focused on the future of European refineries.
To improve market leverage, von der Leyen announced the creation of a specialized task force to aggregate energy demand across member states. The initiative aims to coordinate joint energy purchases, allowing the European Union to make better use of its collective buying power.
Grid investment and electrification targets
Looking toward long-term energy security, von der Leyen argued that the primary solution lies in reducing Europe's dependence on imported oil and natural gas while transitioning toward domestically produced clean energy.
Although renewable power generation has expanded significantly across the region, she warned that much of the new capacity remains disconnected from power grids. She called for urgent capital investment in European transmission networks to ensure clean power reaches areas of high demand.
She also stressed the need to expand electricity usage throughout the economy. The European Union's Electrification Action Plan aims to double electricity's share in final energy consumption by 2040, a shift von der Leyen said could reduce fossil fuel import expenditures by 260 billion euros annually.
