[FR] The Europe of energy exists: citizens have met it

On the eve of the European elections and at a time when many citizens are becoming aware of the scale of climate change, it is important to understand what the European Union has already done and can still do in the field of energy and climate.

The EU’s activities in this area are generally little known, even though they involve all the players concerned: European and national decision-makers, national regulators, businesses, local authorities and non-governmental organisations.

But on this issue, as on others, it is all too common to see national politicians taking credit for a good deed, when it really belongs to the European Union, acting collectively in the interests of its Member States. Worse still for our democracies, many of them never miss an opportunity to stigmatise the Union for a decision that they themselves supported (for example, after the Dieselgate scandal). In short, many politicians succeed in ‘nationalising’ European victories, and ‘Europeanising’ failures for which they are primarily – and sometimes solely – responsible.

European energy policy is a very young policy. Despite the European agreements signed in the 1950s on coal and steel (ECSC) and then nuclear power (Euratom), it was not until 2009 (Lisbon Treaty) that the Member States agreed to a clear legal basis enabling the European Union to adopt binding measures commensurate with the issues at stake. This new provision on energy also sets clear limits on the European Union’s action: Member States remain sovereign when it comes to choosing their energy mix (for example, for or against nuclear power), and exploiting their natural resources (for example, for or against shale gas). As for energy taxation, which is essential for changing behaviour and investment, the Member States continue to want unanimous agreement on this issue, which explains why, for the last eight years, they have been unable to reach agreement on a taxation system in line with their stated climate objectives.

Within these limits, and thanks to the growing awareness of climate change, the European Union has, over the last ten years (2009-2019), adopted and implemented a set of tools aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and making the best use of European synergies. While these measures are still insufficient to meet the climate challenge, the results achieved are nonetheless significant and provide a solid foundation for future decisions. Here is a brief overview.