Energy ministers to offer Brussels limited role in European grid planning

Governments are set to reject a bid by the EU executive to wrest control over planning the development of Europe’s long-awaited electricity supergrid, but appear ready to accept a limited yet unprecedented role for European Commission officials.

There is widespread agreement in Europe that grid operators aren’t building enough cross-border cables, with many blaming the bloc’s rolling Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) for the gap. In December 2025, Brussels proposed a package of laws that would empower it to plan a “central scenario” – and require transmission system operators to work towards it.

After months of diplomatic back-and-forth and multiple ministerial deliberations, national capitals are set to greenlight a much watered-down version of the law, according to a draft obtained by Euractiv, paving the way for what will doubtless be fraught negotiations with MEPs in the autumn.

The draft subordinates the “central scenario” – the heart of the grids package – to the TYNDP it was meant to rein in, creates room for supplementary “sensitivity analyses” that could amount to additional scenarios, and moves the whole planning and approval process behind closed doors. 

Brussels would also be expected to use grid operators’ data, such as “demand and supply projections… [and] imports assumptions”, according to the draft. 

Congestion clash

The Commission’s plans to generate EU funds to pay for sorely needed cross-border cables will also be set back. 

Initially, Brussels had eyed billions in unspent fees levied when cross-border cables are overloaded – known as “congestion income” – as a cash pot for new cables on the EU’s priority project list. 

Sweden, however, where more than half of the money accrues occur due to the country’s power market design, raised a stink over the plan, with support from the likes of Czechia.

After lengthy negotiations, the redistribution of this congestion income will begin only in 2028 and will not reach the targeted 25% until 2031. Swedish domestic funds would be exempt, while any cash left unspent after 2031 would be returned within eight years.

Security and speed

Following extensive lobbying from the Baltics, energy ministers are also set to approve a basic set of principles on grid security. A critical project linking the region to the European grid was completed just two years ago at a cost of the €2 billion.

The agreement should also pave the way for Brussels to channel funding into repairing any damaged power lines, a decision taken with a December 2024 incident in mind in which a Russia-linked ship cut a major power cable between Finland and Latvia.

EU countries are looking to water down measures designed to speed up grid permitting, including applying the principle of “tacit approval” and a ban on deadline extensions, according to a separate draft seen by Euractiv. 

(rh, aw)