BRUSSELS — The European Commission will coordinate with member countries on jet fuel and diesel supplies to fend off a looming shortage, as part of a major package to address the energy crisis caused by the Iran war.
The AccelerateEU plan, presented on Wednesday, contained a host of measures to avoid the worst of the energy crisis prompted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, including changes to state aid rules, accelerating actions on electrification, grids and energy taxation, mobilizing private investment and making more EU-level funding available.
The package, which was largely in line with an earlier draft obtained by POLITICO, contained several non-binding recommendations, promising to help member countries make use of existing rules. It also included an annex listing additional measures member states could deploy to reduce energy demand, such as driving less and cutting energy use in buildings.
Overall, it emphasized an accelerated switch away from fossil fuels and toward clean electricity.
“Coordination is key,” the Commission wrote in a press release Wednesday, saying the first priority would be to coordinate on gas storage filling, oil stock releases and “national emergency measures” to ensure supply of jet fuel and diesel.
“Our AccelerateEU strategy will bring both immediate and more structural relief measures to European citizens and businesses,” Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a statement. “We must accelerate the shift to homegrown, clean energies. This will give us energy independence and security, and mean we are better able to weather geopolitical storms.”
The plan contained no major changes to the Emissions Trading System, with a thorough review expected in July. However, it said the Commission would “assist Member States who wish to explore the use of revenues from the EU ETS for targeted measures that mobilise and accelerate investments in electrification … industrial decarbonisation, in circular downstream applications and investments that help reduce electricity prices…” the document said.
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