The EU's Emergency Energy Measures

INTRODUCTION

The EU has taken a whole series of measures to address the issue of high energy prices over the last year. They are innovative, far reaching and interconnected. This note explains what they seek to achieve and highlights some of the legal issues that they create. It does not cover the various sanction measures adopted against Russia. Although the emergency energy measures also arise out the war in Ukraine, they address prices and security of supply in the Union rather than seeking to bring about a change of behaviour in Russia.

The European Commission in particular was initially reluctant to interfere with market forces and was also concerned that action to constrain energy prices would hinder progress to its climate goals, including achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The measures adopted under the pressure of events show a clear evolution towards increasing intervention.