This report – resulting out of GEF’s Knowledge Communities – aims to serve as a compass for more ambitious, systemic, and inclusive debates on the topic of the EU’s energy project.
Despite its societal, political and democratic significance, energy policy is often viewed as largely technocratic, market-oriented and somewhat opaque, leaving it highly susceptible to backlash. If it can break free from this restrictive framework, the EU’s energy project can transform from a contentious political battleground into a unifying European flagship that enhances cohesion, prosperity, security, resilience, climate action, and global justice.
This report identifies four interconnected areas of critical importance for the energy project: energy security, social aspects, climate and sustainability, and democracy. For each of these dimensions, it highlights current gaps and offers political proposals. The goal of this publication is to ignite and inform political and public debates, ultimately freeing energy policy from its technocratic confines and unlocking systemic green and progressive visions for the future of the EU’s energy project.
About the contributing experts
Benjamin Denis is a Senior Policy Advisor and Head of industrial policy coordination at IndustriAll Europe.
Joanna Maćkowiak-Pandera is the Founder and Head of Forum Energii.
Rosa Martínez is the State Secretary for Social Rights in Spain.
Antoine Oger is the Research Director for Global Challenges and SDGs at the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP).
Jesse Scott is Adjunct at Hertie School Berlin and Visiting Fellow at DIW Berlin.
About the editors
Edouard Gaudot is a teacher, consultant and writer who has contributed to the project as a penholder of the Political Briefs that give shape to this report.
Taube Van Melkebeke is the Green European Foundation (GEF)’s Policy Manager. She leads the different Knowledge Communities of the foundation.
For further information, contact Taube at taube.vanmelkebeke@gef.eu.
This political brief has been realised by the Green European Foundation with the financial support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation. The European Parliament is not responsible for the content of this publication.