Energy independence is key for Europe's future: the EU needs to secure its energy supplies as soon as possible, breaking free from Russian gas and drastically accelerating the transition to clean energy. This is the main takeaway of the opinion "REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy", drafted by Thomas Kattnig, Alena Mastantuono and Simo Tiainen, and adopted at the May plenary session.

The EESC backs the European Commission's communication "REPowerEU", approved by the College on the same day as the opinion, saying that it matches the objectives of the Green Deal and the European Energy Union. In addition, the proposal sets out new actions to ramp up the production of green energy, diversify supplies and reduce demand for Russian gas, which has led to significant increases in electricity market prices due to market manipulation.

The Committee also warns that the EU must be particularly cautious when it comes to replacing Russian gas with other resources, taking into account their environmental impact and the prospect of becoming newly dependent on third countries which do not share European values.

The current geopolitical situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has further worsened the unprecedented surge in energy prices the EU has faced in the past few months. It is therefore extremely important to take immediate steps to mitigate the impact of high prices for European households, farmers, businesses and industry. (mp)