20th March 2015 – An energy union should facilitate transporting energy between member states and make Europe less dependent on fossil fuels, most of which are now imported. The plans announced by the European Commission in February could result in reduced energy bills, less pollution and better resilience to supply disruptions. In the coming years, MEPs are set to discuss and vote on concrete proposals to make this a reality.

The energy union focuses on secure supplies, single energy market, energy efficiency, emissions reductions, research and innovation in energy. Some progress on these issues has already been made, but challenges remain, such as an outdated infrastructure, high energy prices and import dependency.

One of the biggest priorities is connecting European energy grids. By 2020 every member state should have in place electricity cables that would allow at least 10% of the electricity produced by their power plants to be transported to its neighbouring countries. In 2015-2017, MEPs are set to discuss and vote on concrete measures to tackle all of these issues.