Energy security & markets
European Electricity Market Reform – ambitions and realities
08 February 2024
The EU’s electricity market reforms do a good job of promoting more stable energy prices. But member-states must do more to deliver a fully integrated EU-wide energy market.
EU climate and energy policy after the energy crunch
05 December 2023
After the energy crunch, EU member-states should roll back ‘unlimited’ energy subsidies, further co-ordinate their energy policy – for example, to expand power grids – and accelerate the implementation of climate policy.
Will the EU's reform of retail electricity markets help consumers?
19 April 2023
Retail energy markets in Europe have performed poorly during the recent crisis. The Commission’s proposed reforms are a step forward, but they should do more to empower consumers and protect the vulnerable.
Europe needs both fiscal and energy solidarity
14 March 2023
EU governments should curb energy subsidies and raise support for clean energy investment. The EU should expand common borrowing to fund green investment: this would accelerate the energy transition.
How to save energy in a smarter way
14 November 2022
Reducing energy demand can help Europe cope with high energy prices. Consumers need more than pleas to save energy: governments need to provide a mix of prompts, advice and rewards.
The EU's energy plan for a difficult winter: What are the options?
09 September 2022
The European Commission’s new plan aims to cut electricity use to reduce prices and possible blackouts; to extract some of the windfall profits of energy companies; and to curb Russia’s gas revenues.
The impact of the Ukraine war on global energy markets
14 July 2022
Instability in world energy markets will continue beyond the war in Ukraine. Europe will be less dependent on Russia’s fossil fuels, but a weakened Russia could still cause problems.
A G7 energy tariff on Russia would be better than a price cap
11 July 2022
A price cap on Russian oil would cut Russia’s income, but a tariff would help governments support households and businesses dealing with high energy prices.
The EU must triple down on green investment
24 March 2022
Russia’s war on Ukraine forces Europe to make some tough economic choices. Higher climate investment is a no-brainer, however.
Russia's war on Ukraine: There is worse to come (for the West as well)
17 March 2022
The EU has reacted robustly to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. But it must now mitigate the economic, social and political consequences, which will hit ordinary citizens and challenge Western cohesion.
How carbon pricing can decarbonise European heavy industry
13 January 2022
To decarbonise heavy industry, the EU needs a high and stable carbon price, an end to free emission permits, a level-playing field with foreign competitors, and support for green investment.
Why have Europe's energy prices spiked and what can the EU do about them?
28 October 2021
Europeans’ skyrocketing energy bills are not primarily Russia’s fault, though it is capitalising on Europe’s vulnerability.
Avoiding the pitfalls of an EU carbon border adjustment mechanism
05 July 2021
A leaked draft of the EU’s CBAM regulation provides fresh insights into what the Commission plans to do. But it also raises a number of tricky questions.
Gas heats up the eastern Mediterranean
23 April 2020
Disagreements over who gets to exploit gas in the eastern Mediterranean have raised tensions in the region, led to EU sanctions on Turkey, and made resolving the Libyan conflict more difficult. Much is now riding on Ankara’s next moves.
Should the EU tax imported CO2?
24 September 2019
An EU carbon border tax would be tricky to design, costly to implement and sure to provoke legal challenges. But if done properly there are reasons to think it could succeed.
Nord Stream 2: More hot air than gas?
12 January 2018
Some EU member-states see the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline as Russia’s latest anti-European weapon. But even if they are right, the threat can be mitigated.
Brexit and energy: Time to make some hard choices
25 September 2017
If Britain quits the EU’s single energy market, it will have to invest more in electricity generation, pay higher prices and accept a bigger state role in the energy sector.
TTIP is no reason to leave the EU
17 May 2016
Opposition to TTIP has become a rallying cry for Brexiters. They are relying on myths about trade agreements, TTIP and the NHS.
How to save the ideas behind TTIP
11 May 2016
European politicians face an increasingly hostile debate on TTIP. They need to show how TTIP avoids past trade policy failures and improves European regulation.
The EU Energy Union: More than the sum of its parts?
09 November 2015
An Energy Union built around EU-wide gas and electricity networks will help produce cheaper, greener and more secure energy for Europe.