European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced plans for an Electrification Action Plan with “clear targets” to cut Europe’s exposure to fossil fuel price shocks, in a video message to the European Clean Tech Conference 2026.
She stated the Middle East situation was “sending shockwaves across the world” and that Europe was “less exposed than before” because of steps taken in recent years, but “not immune”, according to her speech published by the European Commission on Tuesday.
Von der Leyen linked greater “electrification” — switching end uses such as transport and heating from fossil fuels to electricity — to energy security, saying Europe would “remain vulnerable” as long as it relied on oil and gas.
Electric vehicle purchases have risen by 51% since the start of the war, she said.
She also stressed the EU needed to ensure clean technologies were “developed and manufactured in Europe”, pointing to existing capacity including offshore wind and electrolysers — devices that use electricity to split water into hydrogen — and saying two-thirds of Europe’s heat pumps are made in the EU.
Public procurement and industry rules
Von der Leyen said the EU had introduced the Industrial Accelerator Act to simplify rules, speed up permitting and ensure foreign investments “deliver real value to Europe.”
She added that the EU was introducing “Made in EU” and low-carbon criteria for public authorities when buying goods and services, to steer public spending towards European industry.
Von der Leyen also highlighted the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) — a scheme that sets a cap on emissions and requires companies in covered sectors to hold allowances — saying emissions have fallen by 39% in sectors covered since 2005 while the economy grew by 71%. The system has generated more than €260 billion.
She said 100% of ETS revenues at EU level are reinvested into clean innovation, but this is not the case at national level, adding that channelling ETS revenues back into European businesses would be a focus of an ETS reform planned for this summer.
