EU Energy Ministers recognise role of renewables in EU energy security, but lack targeted proposals

Today in Luxembourg, EU energy ministers attended a meeting of the Energy Council. Ministers discussed how Europe should reinforce energy security and strengthen the Energy Union. Prior to the meeting, SolarPower Europe and 32 national associations published a joint letter calling on ministers to focus the EU’s energy security strategy on flexibility, homegrown solar manufacturing and cybersecurity. SolarPower Europe has issued the following statement in reaction.
 

Dries Acke, Deputy CEO of SolarPower Europe (he/him): 
 

"Energy ministers are right to reiterate that accelerating the energy transition enhances Europe’s energy security. They are right that – in their words – clean energy will not only drive down energy costs but also reduce EU dependency on fossil fuels and limit our exposure to their price volatility. 
 

Fossil fuel dependency is the Achilles Heel of the EU’s economy and security.
 

Unfortunately, the Ministers’ conclusions miss the opportunity to turn the analysis into targeted actions, especially on flexibility and clean tech supply chains.
 

As stated in our joint letter with 30+ national solar associations from across Europe, the European Commission should now present a Flexibility Strategy and new funding for strategic clean tech manufacturing, like solar PV and batteries.
 

We do commend the Council on its call for strengthening Europe’s energy cybersecurity architecture. As our landmark report urges, we need more action to secure decentralised assets, namely: industry-specific standards and limiting remote-controllability of PV inverters." 
 

Notes  

• ‘Solutions for PV risks to grid stability’ is a sector-leading report written by DNV and commissioned by SolarPower Europe. The paper was published in April 2025. 
• Ahead of the 16 June EU Energy Council, the European solar sector issued a joint letter to the continent’s energy ministers emphasizing that a faster energy transition means strong energy security.  
• Council Conclusions are non-legislative documents adopted by the Council of the EU. They give a mandate to the European Commission to work on selected topics, and put forward legislative proposals if deemed necessary. 

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