Energy

Strategy for energy use

The EU has launched strategies to move towards wiser energy use while fighting climate change.

• European Energy Union: the energy flows shall go around unimpeded in a fully integrated, EU-wide energy system, whereby Europe's dependence on fossil fuels is significantly reduced. Market conditions are created, which lead to energy savings and investments in low-CO2 technologies
• Energy Security Strategy: due to the EU’s dependence on energy imports, external shocks have an impact within the EU. A strategy for the security of energy supply, which simultaneously reduces the vulnerability to such shocks and increases European energy resources, is thus necessary
• Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E): Focus on linking the energy infrastructure of EU countries

Better energy security

The creation of a functioning internal market and a stronger cooperation at regional and European level is decisive for a better energy security, in particular in order to coordinate the developments in the networks and to open up markets.
 
In addition, common and coherent external trade relationships must be built with clear procedures, which must be respected by the candidate countries and potential candidate countries.

Until 2050, the EU's energy supply must be restructured accordingly. To achieve this, intermediate steps were established for 2020 in the Energy 2020 strategy for competitive, sustainable and secure energy, and for 2030 in the framework of the climate and energy policy for the period 2020-2030.