European Parliament misses opportunity to fully anchor energy security in renewables and flexible electrification

Today in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted its own-initiative report on the security of energy supply in the EU. In this text, Members of the European Parliament call for a comprehensive and multi-faceted strategy to enhance the EU’s energy security notably through diversification and decarbonisation, in light of geopolitical, environmental, and infrastructural challenges. SolarPower Europe has issued the following statement in reaction.  

Anaïs Faucher, Policy Advisor at SolarPower Europe (she/her):  

“The European Parliament’s ‘Security of Energy Supply’ report sends a strong signal on the need to reduce  Europe’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports and recognises the central role of electrification, renewables, and non-fossil flexibility in enhancing the EU’s energy resilience. These are welcome acknowledgements in the face of escalating geopolitical risks and the accelerating energy transition.

However, the report falls short of providing the clear policy shift Europe urgently needs. While it mentions the need for deployment of renewables, electrification, energy efficiency and domestic clean energy production, the overall narrative remains heavily rooted in a fossil fuel paradigm. Europe’s fossil fuel import dependency is an Achilles Heel for the EU’s economic and energy security. The Parliament should provide a clear energy security vision to make Europe more resilient against geopolitical threats. 

Without stronger political commitments to electrification and large-scale renewables deployment, Europe risks reinforcing fossil dependencies instead of building lasting energy sovereignty.

On the cybersecurity of our energy system, the report correctly identifies remote-control risks for Europe’s grid with respect to the inverter fleet. However, a risk assessment based on country of origin is insufficient to address all supply chain risks and misses the bigger challenge for inverter cybersecurity: the insufficient protection provided by low-cost products. In our recent report, developed in collaboration with DNV, we recommend developing a vertical cybersecurity standard and mandating it via the Network Code for Cybersecurity to address both challenges effectively. 

The European Parliament must now take the next step and present a clearer, more ambitious strategy to secure Europe’s energy supply centred on electrification and renewables.”

Notes 
 

• The own-initiative report is a non-binding text. Through them, the European Parliament lists its priorities and calls on the European Commission to put forward new initiatives, including legislative ones where necessary.
   
• In this report, MEPs call for a new EU Security of Supply architecture, reflecting cross-sector integration and climate challenges.
   
• In the report, MEPs support reducing dependence on energy imports, especially from Russia, through the deployment of renewables, improved energy efficiency, electrification, and domestic production.
   
• The report calls for a full phase-out of Russian fossil fuels and nuclear materials by 2027, an EU-wide ban on new and existing spot contracts for Russian gas by end of 2025, and the inclusion of Russian LNG carriers in sanctions. 
   
• In the report, MEPs call for major investment in cross-border interconnectors, offshore and decentralised grids and digital and climate-resilient energy systems.
   
• This report builds on the Council Presidency Conclusions adopted on 16 June, which were endorsed by most EU Member States except Hungary and Slovakia, reflecting the growing urgency to address energy security. The European Commission is expected to propose a comprehensive revision of the EU Energy Security Framework at the beginning of 2026.
   

© European Union (download here)