Source: European Parliament
The internal energy market is the best protection against country-specific shocks, as the recent crisis has demonstrated. Its completion will be instrumental to further strengthen energy security and achieve our decarbonisation goals while decreasing price volatility and ensuring affordability. Reducing market fragmentation requires a better use of existing grid and increasing its capacity especially across borders.
The European grid could be better used with the implementation of current market rules to maximise cross border trading capacities, and a fair bidding zone configuration reflecting structural congestions. Improved locational signals would foster investments in generation, storage, transmission and flexibility in a cost-effective way.
The Trans-European Networks for Energy Regulation[1] provides framework for cross-border infrastructure planning by identifying projects of common interest that contribute to the internal energy market, security of supply and sustainability. It has enabled the implementation of around 100 cross-border infrastructure projects.
The EU needs to further strengthen coordination and prioritisation for cross-border infrastructure projects to ensure that cross-border impacts are taken into account also at national level.
As part of the Clean Industrial Deal, the Commission adopted an Action Plan for affordable Energy[2] on 26 February 2025 with key actions to lower energy.
It outlines the importance to unlock the value of our Energy Union by taking steps towards a fully integrated energy market supported by 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.