European Union energy ministers met in Brussels for the first energy council meeting under the Polish presidency. The meeting focused on the competitiveness of the energy sector, security of supply, and price developments in a context of geopolitical uncertainty.

One of the main discussions centered on affordable energy prices . Member States addressed the need to implement mechanisms that protect both consumers and industry from energy market volatility.

In this regard, Greek Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou emphasized that “our main objective is low energy prices, a necessary condition for the quality of life of European citizens, especially the most vulnerable, as well as for the competitiveness of European industry.”

Another key point was the European energy security architecture . Measures to strengthen the single energy market and ensure greater interconnection between countries were discussed.

Papastavrou emphasized the need to make progress in this regard, noting that “we are called upon to make important decisions. A critical element of the new energy policy must be the single market, without barriers or distortions.”

Energy security in Ukraine was also a central topic. Strategies to reduce the country’s vulnerability amid the conflict and ensure its energy stability were discussed.

The ministers agreed that strengthening energy infrastructure and cooperation among Member States is key to addressing supply challenges.

Competitiveness and the Omnibus Package

The Council also addressed the competitiveness agenda, highlighting support for the first Omnibus Package , a set of measures aimed at strengthening the energy market and ensuring an efficient transition.

On this point, Jorge Viñuelas , European Affairs at beBartlet , warns that attention should now focus on how quickly this package can be approved: “What we need to focus on now is whether they really demonstrate that this package can be processed in record time.”

Speaking to Strategic Energy Europe , he added: “Some people are saying that Parliament could reach a decision in as little as a week, when the usual time is many months.”

The development of the Omnibus Package will be key to defining the balance between the energy transition and the economic competitiveness of the Member States.

Climate goals for 2040: Spain’s position

During the meeting, Spain defended the need to establish more ambitious climate goals .

Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagensen , insisted that the European Union must “adopt strong renewable energy targets and a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.”

However, Viñuelas points out that these goals could create divisions within the European Union: “This is what governments like Spain’s hopes for, but many may find it too ambitious. What we need to keep an eye on going forward is the position adopted by countries like Italy, with Giorgia Meloni’s government, or the new German government, led by the EPP, which has promised to focus on business competitiveness.”

In this context, the European Parliament will play a decisive role, as it currently has sufficient majorities to block a climate agenda that is considered too ambitious .

Cases of Spain and Greece: key positions within the Council

One of the Council’s most significant announcements was the approval of a new €700 million aid scheme for the development of energy storage in Spain .

The program, promoted by the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO), will co-finance up to 85% of investments in energy storage projects, both in combination with renewable energy and in independent installations.

This scheme is expected to finance between 80 and 120 projects and contribute to the installation of 2.5 GW to 3.5 GW of new storage capacity . With this measure, Spain seeks to ensure the flexibility of its electricity system and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels .

This plan is part of the updated National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan (PNIEC), which highlights the importance of energy storage as a key technology to guarantee the supply and stability of the system .

Greece, for its part, emphasized the need to accelerate energy interconnection within the EU , with a particular focus on the southern and southeastern regions of the continent, such as Cyprus.

Papastavrou insisted that “we need to act immediately and collectively so that the EU-27 can rapidly evolve toward a unified, competitive, and, at the same time, fair and resilient Energy Union.”

The Greek minister also endorsed the European Union’s Affordable Prices Action Plan , recently announced by the European Commission, noting that it “includes many of our country’s proposals, which Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis highlighted in his letter to the Commission President.”

The first Council of Energy Ministers under the Polish presidency made it clear that European energy policy faces key challenges in competitiveness, prices, and security of supply.

Spain’s stance in favor of ambitious climate goals contrasts with Greece’s view, which emphasizes the need for deeper energy integration to ensure affordable prices and a distortion-free market.

As negotiations progress, discussions on the Omnibus Package, 2040 climate targets, and energy infrastructure development will be crucial to the continent’s energy future.