Answer given by Mr Jørgensen on behalf of the European Commission
15.5.2025
In line with the article 194 of the European Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Union policy ensure the functioning of the energy market.
On this basis, the Electricity Regulation[1] and Directive[2] lay down the principles for the European electricity market. The Internal Energy Market and the integration of European electricity markets already benefit consumers by around EUR 34 billion every year[3]. It enables Member States to rely on neighbouring Member States to meet demand and ensure security of supply. The design of short-term markets through market coupling also ensures that the cheapest and cleanest technologies are used first, that interconnections are used in the most optimal way, and that all Member States can rely on imports in times of scarcity. The internal energy market is a protection against country-specific shocks, as the recent crisis has demonstrated.
Withdrawal of a Member State from only the European electricity market would be incompatible with current internal market rules and the EU treaties.
The EU agreed on a reform[4] of the European electricity market design to stabilise the prices of electricity supply, lower the impact of gas prices and ensure the reaping of the benefits from decarbonised electricity. As part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission adopted an Action Plan for affordable Energy[5], which outlines the importance of further unlocking the value of our Energy Union by taking steps towards a fully integrated energy market supported by an interconnected and digitalised network. Further integration of the European internal energy market could increase the benefits to up to EUR 40-43 billion per year by 2030.
- [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/943/oj/eng.
- [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/944/oj/eng.
- [3] ACER’s final assessment of the EU wholesale electricity market design, April 2022 ( https://www.acer.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/Publications/Final_Assessment_EU_Wholesale_Electricity_Market_Design.pdf ).
- [4] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401747 and https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=OJ:L_202401711.
- [5] Action Plan for Affordable Energy, COM(2025)0079 final.