AccelerateEU launched to contain energy prices

Motivated by geopolitical developments, most recently the conflict in the Middle East, the initiative is intended to provide both immediate relief to households and businesses, particularly the most vulnerable, while at the same time putting in place measures to accelerate reducing the dependency on volatile fossil fuel markets. 

The EU reports having spent an additional €24 billion on energy imports due to higher prices since the escalation of the Middle East conflict, highlighting this a “stark reminder” of the need to accelerate the clean energy transition. 

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AccelerateEU comprises essentially five themes: 

• Deeper EU-level coordination, including better coordination between member states on gas storage and oil stocks and the launch of a fuel observatory to map and optimise the distribution of transport fuels. 
• Protecting consumers and industry from price shocks, including targeted and temporary emergency measures such as income support schemes, energy vouchers and social leasing schemes, with a full catalogue due to be presented by energy ministers at their meeting on 13 May 2026. 
• Accelerating the shift to homegrown clean energy and electrification, including advancing energy efficiency and with further measures due to be presented in the forthcoming electrification action plan. 
• Strengthening the energy system, including the full implementation of EU energy legislation by member states and member state investment in the grids. 
• Boosting investment, including the empowerment of member states to maximise the use of available EU funding for energy related investments, such as those under the recovery and resilience facility and a clean energy investment summit to mobilise private financing. 

"The choices we make today will shape our ability to face the challenges of today and the crises of tomorrow,” commented Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. 

“Our AccelerateEU strategy will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses. We must accelerate the shift to homegrown, clean energies. This will give us energy independence and security, and mean we are better able to weather geopolitical storms.” 

The Commission considers AccelerateEU as one part of a dynamic response to the Middle East conflict and intends to keep the measures under close review and consider further measures if the situation deteriorates.

Industry response

Layla Sawyer, secretary general of CurrENT, said that AccelerateEU is the right message at the right time. 

“Accelerating the deployments of grids is not about doing what we have always done at a faster pace, it is about embracing innovation. Innovative grid technologies can help us get more out of the existing grid and build new grids with 10 times the capacity.” 

Adrian Heil, director of the Electrification Alliance, said AccelerateEU is an ambitious move by the Commission to help make this Europe’s last energy crisis. 

“This is not about inventing new technologies. It is about removing bottlenecks like outdated energy taxation so we can electrify at speed. Europe’s motto should be ‘deploy, deploy, deploy’.” 

In an emailed statement, Beyond Fossil Fuels states that the communication generally sets the right direction of travel by mapping out how Europe needs to reduce gas demand through renewables, efficiency and electrification. 

However, the statement references a leaked temporary Iran crisis energy framework could represent a step in the opposite direction – opening the door to further fossil fuel subsidies with weak conditionality, rather than focusing on structural support for clean solutions. 

Said Juliet Phillips, Campaigner at Beyond Fossil Fuels: “Europe needs a clear plan to permanently break the link between electricity prices and fossil gas. The Commission has correctly recognised that the only durable solution to volatile and expensive fossil gas imports is scaling up homegrown clean energy through renewables, grids and flexibility. Only a fossil fuel phase-out framework can serve as a long-term, permanent strategy for Europe’s energy security.”