The EU should speed up the digitalisation of electricity networks and improve coordination on grid planning to support a more decentralised energy system, the European Economic and Social Committee said in a new statement.
The European Union needed a “sustainable, secure and affordable” energy supply and that energy should be treated as a public good, the Committee declared on Wednesday.
It also said energy prices influence overall inflation and that network costs should be lowered to avoid further rises in grid tariffs.
“Europe needs strong, smart and secure electricity grids,” Thomas Kattnig, who drafted the Committee’s opinion adopted at its March plenary session, told the meeting.
The grids should be organised as a public good that guarantees security of supply, sustainability and affordability, he added.
The EESC said grid development should be coordinated with the requirements of integrating renewable energy, as well as with the targeted energy mix and how electricity generation is structured.
It also noted that using existing grids more efficiently should be prioritised, with optimisation coming before expansion and supported by “flexibility solutions” — measures that help balance supply and demand on the system.
Calls for stronger EU coordination
Stronger coordination at EU level is needed for electricity grids while keeping member states responsible for planning and oversight, because the costs of grid expansion, congestion management and stability are mainly borne by countries themselves, the Committee declared.
It also called for network development plans to be aligned with national energy and climate plans.
The Committee backed increasing the Connecting Europe Facility, an EU funding programme for infrastructure, saying EU planning should be complemented by EU funds.
It said the use of those funds should be linked to socio-economic conditions agreed by national social partners, including compliance with labour-law standards and collective bargaining agreements.
Electricity grids should be treated as a matter of security, with faster permitting and well-resourced authorities, the EESC said.
It added grid expansion should be explicitly covered by financing and support provisions in the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) Regulation (EU) 2025/1106.
The European Commission presented its European Grids Package in December 2025 to strengthen and modernise the EU’s energy networks, including improved cross-border planning and better integration of national grid systems.
The EU electricity network spans more than 11 million kilometres across the internal market.
