Action Plan on Affordable Energy
Summary
The Affordable Energy Action Plan seeks to lower energy costs while supporting competitiveness, security and sustainability for households and businesses. Its actions cover electricity bills and supply, gas markets, energy efficiency, completion of the Energy Union, tripartite agreements for industry, security of supply and price-crisis preparedness. The Commission presented the plan as part of the Clean Industrial Deal, and says delivery also depends on measures by EU countries.
Action items
1–6 of 24 items
Source order · D = digital dimension- Item 1
Network Charges Reform:The Commission will design new tariff methodologies to incentivise grid flexibility and electrification investment, with guidance on using public budgets to lower network charges and on anticipatory grid investment, followed by a legislative proposal if needed to make the framework legally binding. [Q2 2025]
- Item 2
Energy Taxation Directive Revision: The Council is called to finalise the 2021 ETD revision to align energy taxation with climate policy and remove fossil fuel exemptions; the Commission will issue a recommendation to Member States on applying existing flexibilities to reduce electricity taxation across all sectors. [from ETD adoption; Q4 2025]
- Item 3
Citizens' Energy Package: Proposes measures to increase citizens' participation in the energy transition, including guidance to Member States on removing supplier-switching barriers, measures to reduce energy poverty, and rules enabling consumers and communities to produce, sell and consume their own renewable energy. [Q3 2025]
- Item 4
Long-Term Electricity Supply Contracts (PPA Support): Launches a EUR 500 million EIB pilot programme to counter-party Power Purchase Agreements for energy-intensive industries, provides guidance on contracts for difference, and adopts new rules to develop European forward markets and expand hedging opportunities for businesses. [Q2 2025 – Q4 2025]
- Item 5
Clean Energy and Grid Permitting Acceleration: Expands the AcceleRES implementation plan, provides guidance on innovative renewables deployment and grid acceleration areas, and will put forward legislative proposals as part of the European Grid Package to streamline environmental assessments and shorten permitting deadlines for renewables, storage and grids; also assesses licensing streamlining for Small Modular Reactors. [mid-2025; legislative proposals with Grid Package; SMR Communication 2026]
- Item 6
European Grid Package: Legislative and non-legislative measures to simplify TEN-E, ensure cross-border integrated planning, streamline permitting, enhance distribution grid planning, boost digitalisation, and develop effective cost-sharing mechanisms for interconnectors; includes an EIB grids manufacturing counter-guarantee package of at least EUR 1.5 billion. [Q1 2026]