European Commission Proposes Plan to Electrify Europe and Revise the Emissions Trading System (ETS)

The European Commission wants to strengthen Europe's competitiveness, drive decarbonisation and reduce dependence on fossil fuels. To this end, it has presented an action plan on electrification and the revision of the Emissions Trading System (ETS).

European Comission

Electricity from domestic, clean sources

Ursula von der Leyen,, President of the European Commission, said: "The best way to reduce Europe's dependence on fossil fuels is to supply our economy with electricity from clean, domestic sources. Today we propose to make Europe the world's first electrified continent. From reducing electricity prices to adapting our CO₂ market to changing global conditions, this is also an investment and independence plan. To keep the clean energy transition on track, facilitate our industry and support decarbonisation. Let's flip the switch.”

Accelerating electrification 

Europe's dependence on imported fossil fuels has repeatedly exposed the continent to geopolitical shocks. These have driven up energy prices for both households and businesses and affected our competitiveness. Although 70 percent of electricity in the EU is now produced from domestic clean energy sources, the degree of electrification of energy demand has stagnated to 23 percent over the past decade. We must therefore accelerate the electrification of energy-consuming sectors, in particular industry, transport and buildings.