European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the ongoing Middle East conflict is exposing the European Union’s continued reliance on fossil fuels, arguing that recent disruptions highlight the need for a faster shift toward electrification and domestic energy production. She emphasized that sustainable energy production in necessary.
Speaking after an EU orientation debate on energy and the wider economic impact of the crisis, Ursula von der Leyen said the region has been “engulfed in war” for “44 days now,” warning that “peace cannot be taken for granted” and that instability is already hitting European energy markets.
She talked baout the Strait of Hormuz, saying its disruption is “greatly damaging” and stressing that “the restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us.” She also warned that continued strikes in Lebanon risk “derail[ing] the entire process,” calling for a “complete cessation of hostilities.”
Von der Leyen repeatedly returned to energy costs, saying Europe’s exposure to imported fossil fuels is now producing direct economic consequences. “Let us recap, since the beginning of the conflict – 44 days ago –, our bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by over EUR 22 billion. 44 days, EUR 22 billion – not a single molecule of energy in addition,” she said.
She said that even if hostilities ended immediately “disruptions to energy supplies from the Gulf will persist for some time to come."
Von der Leyen argued the EU must respond with both short-term coordination measures and longer-term reform, including gas storage coordination, oil stock releases, and new state aid flexibility for member states facing high prices.
But the core of her message focused on structural change. “There is one thing that all these events are making clear: we are paying a very high price for our over dependency on fossil fuels,” she said, adding that “fossil fuel energy will remain the most expensive option in the years to come.”
She said the EU should scale up “homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” including renewables and nuclear power, which she said already account for “over 70% of our electricity generation.” However, she argued that progress is not fast enough.
“The only lasting way out of the fossil dependency is to modernise by shifting electricity generation to renewables and nuclear, and by electrifying the economy as rapidly as possible,” von der Leyen said.
That push includes accelerating grid expansion, storage, and industrial electrification, alongside new investment programs and regulatory changes. She acknowledged Europe is “lagging with the electrification” compared to the US and China, and said the Commission will present a new electrification strategy with “an ambitious new target” before the summer.
Speaking after an EU orientation debate on energy and the wider economic impact of the crisis, Ursula von der Leyen said the region has been “engulfed in war” for “44 days now,” warning that “peace cannot be taken for granted” and that instability is already hitting European energy markets.
She talked baout the Strait of Hormuz, saying its disruption is “greatly damaging” and stressing that “the restoration of the freedom of navigation is of paramount importance for us.” She also warned that continued strikes in Lebanon risk “derail[ing] the entire process,” calling for a “complete cessation of hostilities.”
Von der Leyen repeatedly returned to energy costs, saying Europe’s exposure to imported fossil fuels is now producing direct economic consequences. “Let us recap, since the beginning of the conflict – 44 days ago –, our bill for fossil fuel imports has increased by over EUR 22 billion. 44 days, EUR 22 billion – not a single molecule of energy in addition,” she said.
She said that even if hostilities ended immediately “disruptions to energy supplies from the Gulf will persist for some time to come."
Von der Leyen argued the EU must respond with both short-term coordination measures and longer-term reform, including gas storage coordination, oil stock releases, and new state aid flexibility for member states facing high prices.
But the core of her message focused on structural change. “There is one thing that all these events are making clear: we are paying a very high price for our over dependency on fossil fuels,” she said, adding that “fossil fuel energy will remain the most expensive option in the years to come.”
She said the EU should scale up “homegrown, affordable, reliable energy,” including renewables and nuclear power, which she said already account for “over 70% of our electricity generation.” However, she argued that progress is not fast enough.
“The only lasting way out of the fossil dependency is to modernise by shifting electricity generation to renewables and nuclear, and by electrifying the economy as rapidly as possible,” von der Leyen said.
That push includes accelerating grid expansion, storage, and industrial electrification, alongside new investment programs and regulatory changes. She acknowledged Europe is “lagging with the electrification” compared to the US and China, and said the Commission will present a new electrification strategy with “an ambitious new target” before the summer.
