About: Energy Union
An Energy Union 2.0?
Four years into the Energy Union project, it is worth taking stock of one of the flagship policies of the Juncker Commission and look into future challenges, writes Piotr Arak.
Regional cooperation and integrated energy markets at risk
A much more interconnected European energy market, ensuring regional cooperation and cutting out waste, makes so much sense for consumers, for security of supply and for decarbonisation. Philip Baker and Christos Kolokathis urge MEPs and member states to make it happen.
A new era: The digitalisation of Europe’s energy system
The clean energy transition requires first and foremost bridging energy and digital economy. The single energy market and the digital single market must go hand-in-hand, argues Dominique Ristori.
Power to the people: Why the Energy Union must be close to citizens
The necessary ambition of a common energy policy must be backed up by tangible projects that can be readily understood by all European citizens, writes Michel Derdevet.
Stronger together: The EU’s energy and climate governance
Governance is not about imposing new obligations to member states. It is about mobilising and coordinating all relevant actors, including cities and regions. Europe is changing. Europe is greening. Let’s embrace this change rather than falter, write Michèle Rivasi and Claude Turmes.
Cooling and refrigeration sector: the Cinderella of the EU’s energy system
One of the main reasons the cooling and refrigeration sector is under-represented in the EU energy debate is the poor self-organisation of interested stakeholders, given they're spread out among multiple industrial branches, writes Kostadin Fikiin.
Half-time for the Juncker Commission
The European Commission has just reached the midpoint of its mandate, providing a good opportunity to look back at the first two and a half years in office, and think about the remaining time ahead, writes Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič.
Energy Union is about re-inventing our economy
The European Commission's Winter Package of Energy Union laws will be a turning point for clean energy, writes Maroš Šefčovič. But the spirit of the package goes further than clean energy or tackling climate change – it’s also about economic transformation, he argues.
Europe’s cities are key to empowering ‘energy citizens’
Cities need to be at the centre of Europe's energy policies because they create sustainable supplies and boost job growth, writes Anna Lisa Boni.
How can Energy Union governance help put efficiency first?
Energy efficiency markets are driven by legislation. This is why a strong energy efficiency directive supported by a robust governance mechanism are key to delivering the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, argue Monica Frassoni and Harry Verhaar.
A successful Energy Union can sell benefits of EU to the masses
Policymakers from the member states have praised the European Commission's Energy Union initiative. But this unanimous assent has raised eyebrows at a time when the idea of the EU itself is under attack, writes Dr Nikolas Wölfing.
Time for an EU climate policy 2.0?
The European Commission will soon release its second annual report on the State of the European Energy Union. This is a pivotal moment in the EU's political calendar, write Teresa Ribera and Thomas Spencer.
The (German) politics behind Nord Stream 2
An unlikely coalition is emerging in Germany between Angela Merkel’s CDU and the Greens. More and more, both parties want to stop the construction of a second pipeline that will transport gas directly from Russia to Germany under the Baltic Sea, explains Judy Dempsey.
Three reasons to repurpose the Energy Union
The Energy Union is great on paper, but so far the European Commission has failed to provide it with a modern, engaging vision. Eckart Würzner sees three key reasons why the executive should do so and how it can achieve it.
Build a new Energy Union
Energy is the lifeblood of society, but it has become yet another negative punch bag in the UK referendum campaign, with claims and counterclaims about costs. But there is a simple and very positive story to be told, writes Michael Grubb.
Putting innovation at the heart of the Energy Union
As the European Commission elaborates its Energy Union strategy, and as national and local governments plan their contribution to the union’s aims of energy security, decarbonisation and cost-efficiency, they need to create an environment that nurtures innovation in policy, technology and business models, write Pascal Lamy and Philip Lowe.
An Energy Union for consumers: Better information and more choice
European energy companies must provide better information to consumers, helping them to understand what they are paying for and whether they getting value for money, writes Věra Jourová.
Why the EU’s electricity market design proposal actually matters
The European Commission’s vision of an Energy Union with citizens at its core, where consumers take ownership of the energy transition, is to be applauded but needs to be followed up with genuine policy change, writes Jonathan Gaventa.
EU must avoid prioritising gas in energy security push
Overly focusing on gas could hamstring the efforts of the Energy Union, so the EU should ensure that it facilitates the building of a solid low-carbon technology market, write Thomas Raines and Shane Tomlinson
Combining gas and renewables can deliver ‘energy miracle’
A lot is happening in the world of natural gas. Just recently, the European Commission published its gas strategy and the United States exported its first Liquefied Natural Gas. It is a clear sign of the role that gas plays and will have to play in Europe’s energy mix, writes François-Régis Mouton.
Heating and cooling: We have the technology, we need the policy
Commissioner Cañete promised a year ago that heating and cooling would play a crucial role in the Energy Union’s quest for energy efficiency. After the initial enthusiasm, Lars Tveen asks whether the Commission will deliver on this promise and considers the potential in the sector.
Europe 4.0
The technological transformation brought by home automation, driverless technologies, or the new generation of drones, comes at a timely moment for Europe, presenting new opportunities during these challenging times, writes Maroš Šef?ovi?.
Putting energy consumers first
When it comes to the Energy Union and the EU’s energy efficiency targets, the Commission needs to put consumers at the centre and create a regulatory environment that promotes behavioural energy efficiency, writes Giulia Gioffreda.