Brussels, 13 June 2025
EU Council Background Briefing on the EU Energy Council, 16 June 2025
Chair: Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Polish Minister for Climate and Environment.
European Commission representative: Dan Jørgensen, European Commissioner for Energy and Housing.
Starting time: 09:30.
Energy ministers will discuss REPowerEU roadmap that the Commission made public on 6 May.
Ministers are expected to finalise the work on conclusions on strengthening the Energy Union through reinforcing energy security.
Under Any Other business ministers will be briefed on seven issues: the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs), the Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC), the protection of critical energy infrastructure, the contribution of biofuels to the EU’s energy and climate targets, the MED9 Ministerial Meeting, and finally, the Danish delegation will present the priorities of the incoming presidency in the field of energy. All ‘any other business’ issues, except the last one, will be held in public session.
Over lunch, ministers will informally discuss electricity market development.
REPowerEU roadmap
Ministers will be invited to share their views on the REPowerEU roadmap, published by the European Commission on 6 May 2025. The roadmap outlines nine key actions aimed at fully removing Russian energy—gas, oil, and nuclear—from EU markets. It also announces at least five legislative proposals, which the Commission plans to adopt in June 2025.
This initiative follows up on the European Council conclusions of March 2022, when EU leaders agreed to end Europe’s dependence on Russian energy imports as soon as possible. Energy and Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen committed to delivering a detailed phase-out plan within his first 100 days in office.
The roadmap proposes a gradual and coordinated withdrawal from Russian energy while maintaining stable energy supplies and prices. Member states are expected to submit national plans by the end of 2025 outlining their contributions to this goal. In parallel, the EU will continue accelerating the clean energy transition and diversifying its energy sources.
Key measures of the roadmap include ending all Russian gas imports by 2027 through stricter monitoring and banning new contracts and spot purchases by the end of 2025. The roadmap also targets the ‘shadow fleet’ Russia uses to evade oil sanctions and restricts new supply contracts involving Russian nuclear materials. These efforts are closely aligned with broader EU strategies such as the Competitiveness Compass, the Clean Industrial Deal, and the Affordable Energy Action Plan. Legislative proposals to support the roadmap are expected in the coming weeks.
Despite progress under the REPowerEU Plan, launched in May 2022, which cut Russian gas imports from 45% to 19%, the EU still paid around EUR 23 billion for Russian energy in 2024, including EUR 1 billion for nuclear fuel. The roadmap aims to end this dependency once and for all while supporting Europe’s long-term energy security and climate goals.
The discussion will be framed by a note prepared by the presidency in which ministers will be invited to express their opinions on two issues:
What actions should the European Union take to support Member States in fully phasing out Russian energy supplies to the Union?
How can member states best work together to ensure alternative and affordable energy supplies and to reinforce and maximise the use of energy infrastructure across the Union?
- Commission’s communication: Roadmap towards ending Russian energy imports
- March 2022 EUCO conclusions
- Action Plan for Affordable Energy
- REPowerEU: Joint European Action for more affordable, secure and sustainable energy
- RepowerEU (background information)
Strengthening the Energy Union through reinforcing energy security
Following the exchange of views on the RepowerEU roadmap, ministers are expected to finalise the work of the conclusions on strengthening the Energy Union through reinforcing energy security.
One of the priorities of the Polish presidency, related to its main theme of ‘security’, is strengthening EU energy security. Since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has reduced its reliance on Russian energy – particularly gas, oil, and coal – but further action is needed. The presidency advocates for a complete withdrawal from Russian energy imports, lower energy prices, and a revised EU energy security framework that enhances both physical security and cybersecurity of infrastructure and supports development of all clean energy sources.
In April 2025, the presidency presented draft conclusions on energy security which were discussed in successive energy working parties and incorporated in the text the contributions of different member states.
The conclusions present a comprehensive and coordinated strategy to transform the EU’s energy landscape by:
- Strengthening resilience and security
- Reducing EU’s strategic dependencies
- Promoting clean, competitive energy systems
- Simplifying regulation and reducing administrative burden
- Investing in modern infrastructure and innovation
- Supporting EU member states and key partners such as Ukraine and Moldova in the process
Any other business
National energy and climate plans
The Commission will have an information point on the assessment of the final national energy and climate plans.
The National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) detail national measures to meet the EU’s 2030 climate and energy goals. First developed in 2020, they have since been updated to align with the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 legislation and the RepowerEU plan. On 28 May 2025, the Commission published its EU-wide assessment of the final updated National Energy and Climate plans (NECPs) accompanied by a Staff Working Document with the individual assessments of the 23 final updated NECPs submitted and evaluated by that date. Member States were due to submit these final updated NECPs by 30 June 2024, in view of the Commission’s recommendations on the draft updated NECPs.
- EU-wide assessment of the final updated national energy and climate plans
- Commission’s staff working document with 23 individual assessments
- Climate (background information)
Nuclear Illustrative Prograqmme (PINC)
The Commission will have an information point on the assessment of the Nuclear Illustrative Prograqmme (PINC).
The Nuclear Illustrative Programme (PINC is the French acronym) is a report that the Commission publishes regularly with an overview of investments needs in the EU for all the steps of the nuclear lifecycle. This report is a requirement under Article 40 of the Euratom Treaty. On 14 April 2025 the Commission launched a call for evidence on nuclear investments to be used in this year’s edition of the PINC, which is expected to be published by the end of the year. The period for the submission of feedback ended on 12 May. The last PINC was published in 2017. The need to update the PINC was identified in the Action
Plan for Affordable Energy (under Action 5 ‘Completing the Energy Union’) and confirmed in the Commission Work Programme for 2025.
Contribution of biofuels to the EU’s energy and climate targets
The Austrian, Bulgarian, Czech and Latvian delegations will have an information point on ‘Guaranteeing effective contribution of sustainable biofuels to the EU’s energy and climate targets, while ensuring a level playing field and fair competition within the European biofuel sector’.
Protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure
The Estonian, Lithuanian and Latvian delegations have requested an information point calling for the inclusion of protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure among the key priorities shaping the next MFF.
Contribution of sustainable biofuels to the EU’s energy and climate targets
The Bulgarian, Czech, Greek, Hungarian, Romanian, Slovak and Slovenian delegations have requested an information point about the challenges of implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1787 on the reduction of methane emissions in the energy sector – recommendations for inclusion in the simplification agenda. Regulation (EU) 2024/1787, known as the EU Methane Regulation, aims to reduce methane emissions in the energy sector. The Council formally adopted the Methane Regulation on 27th May 2024.
Fit for 55: Council gives final green light to cut methane emissions in the energy sector
Fit for 55: cutting methane emissions in fossil fuels Infographic
MED9 Ministerial Meeting of Energy and Environment Ministers
The Slovenian delegation will brief ministers on the report on the MED9 Ministerial Meeting of Energy and Environment Ministers that took place on June 1-2, as part of Slovenia’s presidency of the MED9 group. The meeting aimed to strengthen cooperation among MED9 countries on energy connectivity, cross-border renewable projects, decarbonisation, and climate resilience. The MED9 is an informal group of nine Mediterranean EU countries (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, and Spain), formed in 2013 to coordinate on regional issues and boost their influence within the EU and the Mediterranean.
Web page of the MED9 meeting of the Ministers of the Environment, Climate and Energy
Programme of the Danish presidency
The Danish delegation will brief ministers on the work programme of the incoming presidency in the field of energy.
Lunch debate
During the lunch, ministers will exchange views on electricity market development and possible measures for greater market integration, including through a regional approach to capacity mechanisms.
Energy (background information)
Source – EU Council: Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council (Energy) of 16 June 2025