The European Union’s new European Grids Package, first presented by the European Commission on December 10, 2025, was officially approved today by the EU Energy Council in Luxembourg.
The package bears a strong Greek imprint, reflecting the Greek government’s efforts since 2023 to promote the idea that electricity grids should be regarded as a European strategic asset rather than solely a national responsibility.
This approach was also reflected in a letter sent by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in January 2025, calling for a new European strategy on cross-border energy infrastructure.
At the same time, Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou and Deputy Minister Nikos Tsafos consistently promoted the same positions throughout negotiations in the relevant European forums.
Addressing the Energy Council earlier today, Papastavrou stated:
“Greece has been a strong supporter from day one. We supported this Regulation not because we believe it is perfect, but because we believe it paves the way for a stronger internal energy market and a stronger Energy Union—something that is absolutely necessary.”
He stressed that greater energy integration is essential to ensuring affordable and secure energy for European citizens, warning that it would have been “a huge disappointment” if the Council had failed to reach an agreement.
“We all have observations to make. But the bigger picture is that this is a positive step toward better coordination of Europe’s internal energy market. I believe a good balance has been achieved between cooperation and the autonomy of member states.”
Papastavrou also emphasized the importance of protecting critical energy infrastructure, noting that threats to submarine cables and cross-border energy networks come from multiple directions—not only Russia—making a common European resilience and security strategy essential.
Today’s approval confirms that the European Union has now embraced an approach Greece has long argued is necessary for completing the Energy Union.
A European Strategy Inspired by the Greek Approach
At its core, the Grids Package introduces a new philosophy for planning Europe’s energy networks. It calls for:
- Greater coordination at EU level;
- Faster permitting procedures;
- Simpler rules for cross-border projects;
- Fairer cost-sharing among member states benefiting from new infrastructure.
The framework closely aligns with Greece’s long-standing position by treating interconnections as projects of European strategic importance rather than purely national investments.
The package also prioritizes making better use of existing grids, improving system flexibility, and facilitating the integration of renewable energy sources, as Europe’s rapidly expanding clean energy generation requires significantly stronger cross-border interconnections.
Three Greek Projects Among Eight Strategic “Energy Highways”
Of particular importance for Greece is the inclusion of three projects directly involving the country among the European Commission’s eight priority Energy Highways:
- The Trans-Balkan Pipeline, whose reverse-flow capability is a key component of the Vertical Gas Corridor;
- The Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) linking Greece and Cyprus, ending Cyprus’ energy isolation;
- Strengthening electricity interconnections across Hungary–Romania–Bulgaria–Greece, aimed at improving regional energy security and stabilizing electricity prices across Southeast Europe.
Why Europe Is Investing in Energy Grids
The European Commission describes electricity networks as the backbone of Europe’s energy market.
Today, Europe’s electricity grid spans more than 11 million kilometers, making it one of the world’s largest and most reliable interconnected systems.
However, demand is rising rapidly due to:
- the clean energy transition;
- electrification of transport;
- industrial electrification;
- continued expansion of renewable energy.
According to the Commission, around 40% of Europe’s electricity distribution networks are over 40 years old, while cross-border electricity transmission capacity must double by 2030.
Meeting these goals will require investments worth hundreds of billions of euros over the coming decades to modernize and expand Europe’s electricity infrastructure.
With today’s approval of the Grids Package, the European Union has taken a major step toward more coordinated planning of energy infrastructure, strengthening Europe’s competitiveness, resilience, and energy security while reinforcing Greece’s long-standing vision of treating energy interconnections as a shared European responsibility.
Three-Year Delay for the Methane Emissions Regulation
At the same Energy Council meeting, Greece also backed a joint initiative calling for a three-year postponement of the implementation of the Methane Regulation.
Athens argued that markets and national authorities require additional time to adapt without undermining the EU’s overall objective of reducing methane emissions in the energy sector.
The proposal was supported by 18 EU member states, demonstrating broad European backing for a more realistic and workable transition toward the new regulatory framework.
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