Citizens Energy Package: towards more secure and affordable energy

REScoop.eu, the European federation of energy communities, is organising an event at the European Parliament on the Citizens Energy Package, with the support of Energy Cities and CAN Europe. This is co-hosted with multiple parliamentary groups, including the Greens/EFA, the Left, and S&D. 

The event will take place on 9 June at 13:30- 16:00 CEST, Room SPAAK 4B1, European Parliament, Brussels.

Context

On 10 March 2026, the European Commission published the Citizens Energy Package (CEP), a non-legislative initiative aimed at strengthening the role of citizens in the energy transition. Introduced in a context of geopolitical crisis and fossil fuel price volatility, the CEP highlights community-owned renewable energy as a key tool to improve affordability, local energy control, and energy security. Through nine actions, the package encourages Member States to develop enabling frameworks and financing tools that support citizens’ participation in the energy system, focusing on affordability, protection of the most vulnerable, energy communities and energy sharing, electrification, flexibility, and implementation of existing legislation.

The event will gather MEPs from different political groups, the European Commission, civil society, and business associations to analyse the package along the angles of:

  • Implementation and upcoming legislation: how can we turn the ambitious goals of the CEP (x10 community energy by 2030) into concrete actions by Member States, in light of the post-2030 energy framework.
  • Affordability: positioning the CEP within the context of the Iran war and the ensuing energy and cost of living crisis, and highlighting the concrete ways that energy communities stabilise and lower prices, as well as contribute to alleviate energy poverty. 
  • Funding: linking the CEP within the 2028-2034 EU budget discussions, in particular NRPP and ECF 
  • Grids: connecting the ongoing debates around fair benefit sharing in the Permitting Directive

The event will include two multi-stakeholder panels, reflecting on the themes above. National organisations (e.g., from Romania) will also be invited to attend, actively interacting with the speakers, and framing the debate through national and on-the-ground perspectives.

Agenda

  • Introduction: what short-term, mid-term and long-term solutions to the fossil fuels crisis? - MEP Nicolae Ștefanuta, MEP Yannis Maniatis, MEP Dario Tamburrano, MEP Paulo do Nascimento Cabral
  • Energy communities: how far is the EU from its targets? - Olivier Prigent, EU Court of Auditors
  • The Citizens Energy Package and the Action Plan for Energy Communities: from Brussels to the ground - European Commission - DG ENER (Achille Hannoset) with reactions from:
    • Ènostra (Italian cooperative supplier)
    • Energy Cities - Mathieu Bourgeois & City of Utrecht (Netherlands)
    • Bogdan Stroe (Cooperativa de Energie)
  • Looking Ahead: funding and legislative opportunities for energy communities in the coming years - CAN Europe, ClientEarth, REScoop.eu (Chris Vrettos), European Economic and Social Committee (Corina Murafa)