EU energy ministers met in Dublin on Tuesday, 29 September, to discuss the coming winter. The EU does not expect supply shortages but does expect very high oil and gas prices. Energy commissioner Dan Jorgensen said there is no doubt Europe is heading for a difficult winter. He noted that in a normal winter, nearly 50 million Europeans cannot heat their homes properly, and this winter could be worse.
Since late February, the war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz have pushed up the EU’s import bill. Jorgensen put the extra energy cost at more than 100 billion euros, without a single extra molecule of gas or oil. Gas storage levels are exceptionally low: 70 percent on average in the EU, 82 percent in France, but only 57 percent in Germany and the Netherlands.
The commissioner does not expect shortages, but says Europe has little room for manoeuvre. European refineries are running near full capacity, and diesel and jet fuel prices remain high. He wants member states to cut consumption, especially at peak hours, heat public buildings less and limit street lighting. He also suggests the gas storage target could be lowered to 80 percent to ease price pressure.
Ministers stressed the need to keep reducing dependence on fossil fuels by electrifying energy use. Finland’s energy minister said her country is now 95 percent self-sufficient in electricity thanks to renewables and nuclear. Jorgensen said the goal remains clean energy independence. The Commission also approved 25 million euros in state aid for French fishermen hit by fuel costs, and several countries are pressing for an EU-wide tax on oil and gas superprofits.
Reference
Fay, S. (2026, September 29). Les Etats européens se préparent à un « hiver difficile » avec des réserves d’énergie limitées et des prix élevés [European states brace for a difficult winter with low energy reserves and high prices]. Le Monde. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/09/29/les-etats-europeens-se-preparent-a-un-hiver-difficile-avec-des-reserves-d-energie-limitees-et-des-prix-eleves_6785685_3234.html