Aiming to reduce fossil fuel consumption - Brussels proposals to facilitate the process
The European Union economy must reach a 46% electrification target in transport, industry and buildings by 2040, aiming to cut 260 billion euros a year in imported fossil fuel costs, the European Commission said, as it unveiled a series of proposals to ease the process.
The proposed measures include reforms to tariffs charged by energy network operators, energy taxation and building efficiency.
Brussels is stepping up its electrification efforts as part of an effort to find quick solutions to offset the loss of oil and gas from the Strait of Hormuz, which highlighted the EU's heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels.
However, without incentives to reduce high electricity prices, the Commission's plan to electrify the economy may be a hard sell.
Brussels has acknowledged that electricity remains more heavily taxed than gas in some EU countries. To address this imbalance, the Commission is proposing a legal principle requiring member states to ensure that electricity is not taxed more heavily than gas, while leaving governments free to determine the structure of their national tax systems in line with EU rules on energy taxation.
Commission officials confirmed that the 46 percent target will serve as a reference for measuring the EU's progress in replacing fossil fuels with clean electricity in transport, buildings and industry.
The EU executive stressed that the target will be supported by a broader analytical framework linked to the EU's post-2030 climate and energy strategy, with further details expected later this year.
The Commission acknowledged that the EU’s electrification pace has progressed more slowly than expected – stagnating at 23 percent over the past decade – despite its importance for achieving the EU’s climate, competitiveness and energy security objectives. The remaining 77 percent of the economy runs largely on fossil fuels.
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