The European Commission has set out a package of steps named "AccelerateEU" it says could ease the impact of higher fossil fuel prices on households and industry and speed up a shift to electricity and other cleaner energy sources across the EU.
Europeans are “paying the price” of dependence on imported fossil fuels for the second time in less than five years, the Commission declared in a statement on Wednesday.
Since the conflict in the Middle East escalated, the EU has spent an additional €24 billion on energy imports because of higher prices “without receiving a single extra molecule of energy.”
The proposals, branded “AccelerateEU”, include measures intended to be immediate as well as longer-term.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the strategy would include “immediate and more structural relief measures” and called for a faster shift to “homegrown, clean energies”, in a statement.
The Commission said it would push for closer coordination between member states on issues including refilling underground gas storage and any exceptional releases of oil stocks.
It also stated national emergency measures and steps to ensure supplies of jet fuel and diesel should be “closely coordinated”.
New fuel monitoring and support options
A new “Fuel Observatory” will be set up to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels, the Commission said.
The aim is to spot potential shortages quickly and help inform “targeted measures” if emergency stock releases take place.
The Commission also pointed to possible national support measures to cushion price spikes, including energy vouchers, targeted income support, “social leasing schemes”, and lower excise duties on electricity for vulnerable households.
It said it would adopt a Temporary State Aid Framework, which would give national governments more flexibility to support economic sectors exposed to the crisis.
On longer-term steps, the Commission said it would present an “Electrification Action Plan” by the summer, focused on increasing the use of electricity in industry, transport and buildings.
It added it would bring forward a legislative proposal on network charges and taxation, including measures so that electricity is taxed less than fossil fuels.
The Commission noted EU funding sources include the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which it put at €219 billion, alongside cohesion policy funds.
Public funding would not be enough on its own to cover investment needs estimated at €660 billion a year until 2030, it said, adding that it adopted a Clean Energy Investment Strategy in March 2026 and plans to hold a Clean Energy Investment Summit.
The AccelerateEU communication was drawn up after EU leaders asked for targeted temporary measures to address recent spikes in imported fossil fuel prices linked to the Middle East crisis.
The proposals are due to be discussed by EU leaders at an informal European Council meeting in Cyprus on 23–24 April.
