In Brussels on Tuesday, EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen ruled out a change of course despite the war in Iran and significantly rising energy costs. The EU will neither reverse its ban on Russian fossil fuels nor slow down the transition to renewable energies. The debate was triggered by new price shocks on the energy markets and political pressure from several member states. At the same time, the desire for cheaper imports is growing in parts of Europe. Jørgensen, however, sees this as a high risk because, in his view, Europe must never again fall into a dangerous dependence on Moscow. For consumers and businesses, this means continued high costs for the time being, while the EU adheres to its hard energy policy. (politico: 24.03.26)
Brussels rules out any return to Russian energy
Jørgensen formulated his position with unusual clarity. “There is no going back to dependence on Russian energy,” he said. With that, he drew a red line, even though energy prices are rising sharply again.
The commissioner justified the policy with the experiences of recent years. Europe had supported Russia with energy payments for far too long, thereby indirectly co-financing the war against Ukraine. He also accused Moscow of deliberately using energy as leverage. Therefore, he stated: “We should never again import even a single molecule.”
Individual heads of government are pushing for cheaper energy from Russia
Nevertheless, resistance to this hard line is growing in parts of the EU. A small group of leaders is calling for a new debate on how to deal with Russia, because high energy prices are placing a heavy burden on the economy and the population. This argument is gaining traction, especially in countries facing high cost pressures.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is among the most vocal advocates of a softer approach. He demands that the EU suspend its sanctions against Moscow. At the same time, Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever has spoken in favor of resuming negotiations with Russia to regain long-term access to affordable energy. However, these very initiatives jeopardize the planned complete phase-out of Russian gas.
The EU is more resilient today than it was during the 2022 energy crisis
Jørgensen points to the changed situation in Europe. While Russia supplied around 45 percent of the EU’s gas needs in 2022, this share has now fallen to about 10 percent. This significantly reduces direct vulnerability and simultaneously weakens the Kremlin’s political leverage.
From the Commission’s perspective, this is a crucial step forward. “We were so vulnerable, and we never want to be in such a vulnerable situation again,” said Jørgensen. Therefore, the phase-out will not be limited to gas. The EU Commission also intends to present a similar ban on Russian oil later this year.
Renewable energies remain the strategic core despite price pressures
Despite growing criticism of climate regulations, Brussels does not intend to slow down the expansion of renewable energies. While Jørgensen acknowledged that households and industry need short-term support, he emphasized that this does not change the long-term direction.
For the EU, the expansion of wind power, solar energy, and other renewable generation is therefore more than just climate policy. It is also seen as a response to price shocks, geopolitical crises, and past energy policy failures. Jørgensen made it clear that this approach continues to have political appeal. “In Europe, there is no real debate about whether we need more renewable energies and whether we must break free from this dependence.”