Skip links

Key Recommendations

Key Recommendations

The REEF companies are committed to supporting the Paris Agreement and the process towards EU climate neutrality by 2050.

The EU’s national energy and climate plans are an important instrument on the path to 2050. Against this background, the REEF is ready to support the EU and its Member States in their finetuning and implementation of the plans. In order to make optimal and effective use of this instrument, Member States should exchange best practices and results of national planning processes and benefit from cross-border cooperation.

Grid operators, power generators and industry should be consulted before and during the decision-making and planning processes of NECPs. This will foster better coordination and promote cross-border and regional cooperation.

The REEF welcomes the adoption of the Clean Energy Package. We are committed to the efficient use of resources and believe that market-based instruments as well as more closely integrated power markets and sectors are some of the key drivers of the transition to climate neutrality. Well-designed market mechanisms will not only strengthen grid operations, but also ensure a continuous supply of high-quality electricity everywhere in Europe.

Carbon pricing is the most cost-efficient instrument to achieve emissions reductions and the EU should continue to protect and strengthen the EU Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). In order to achieve an effective carbon price, possible EU policies that overlap with the EU ETS should be minimised and mitigated. In addition, efforts should be made to link international CO2 pricing schemes to evolve towards a global CO2 price.

The transition to a decarbonised electricity system means a significant reduction in flexibility resources coming from coal and gas. This “flexibility gap” must be covered by all – existing and new – options such as flexible low carbon generation, demand response, storage and digital tools. The EU should quickly implement the provisions of electricity network codes and the Clean Energy Package to ensure that all flexibility sources are offered to all market actors under commercial conditions.

Strong, interconnected power grids will secure a more balanced and stable power system across Europe. Interconnectors contribute to decarbonising Europe and enhance solidarity between Member States regarding security of supply, while larger markets will strengthen competition (by opening regional markets) with the result of lowering the average consumer prices. For this, the REEF urges the legislators to establish the right regulatory incentives and an enabling framework that delivers the next generation grid investments.

To gain public acceptance for grid infrastructure, decisionmakers and industry should jointly demonstrate the benefits of strengthening electricity grids through a Europe-wide approach of educational communication, as well as developing new innovative ways and tools to foster local acceptance. The REEF companies are committed to actively contributing to this task.

In order to enable a balanced development of grids, generation plants and markets, permitting procedures need to be accelerated, taking into account public acceptance considerations.

The REEF acknowledges that the role of the consumer is a central part of a successful energy transition. The EU should thus apply the principle of “fair and sustainable transition”, as already proposed in the Energy Union Social Pact. The social dimension underpins the sustainability of the Energy Union. It ensures equal ownership by all stakeholders as well as solidarity with future generations.

In addition, the transition to a circular economy through appropriate efficiency and recycling regulation is essential. This helps to minimise greenhouse gas emissions and waste. Digital tracking of carbon intensity throughout the life cycle should also be put in place to present the consumer with an appropriate choice. The REEF members believe that balancing a consumer-centric energy system enabling active market participation with large scale generation and transmission grids is important to offer a win-win for all actors.

As consumer demand for green products continues, a European labelling system must be established. This will ensure a fair energy transition and push carbon out of the energy system.

The REEF believes that energy as a service will have a dramatic breakthrough. The REEF members are committed to applying new digital technologies such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data and Cloud Computing to consumers’ energy services. The EU regulatory landscape must evolve in parallel so that these opportunities can be translated into instruments that help to manage a more complex power system that preserves efficiency and security.

Customers – households and industries – not dealing with data as their core business need to be well informed on data ownership and access during their decisions. Along the same lines, data ownership, confidentiality, integrity and availability must be clarified and future-proofed as a framework enabling investment security for companies that build and develop data-based technologies. The REEF invites the European Commission to continue its efforts to remove existing barriers to free data flow and to create the necessary framework for secure and competitive data access and transfer in the power sector.

As digitisation progresses and the European energy infrastructures become an increasingly interconnected ecosystem, grid operators are ever more vulnerable to cyberattacks. For grid operators to ensure the security of the energy system at all times, the European certification needs to be made mandatory for ICT products, processes and services linked to the operation of the electricity grid.

The decarbonisation of the economy and a safe system operation requires strong cross-border day to day cooperation between TSOs. Well-coordinated national energy policies are also needed to ensure security of supply in the longer term. To this end, we stress the importance of strengthening cooperation at all levels in Europe: EU, national, regional and local authorities should act in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity.

For the regional level, Regional Forums, as proposed by the REEF for the cooperation among Member States and regulators, provide a promising cooperation framework. Within these forums, cooperation should not be limited to technical cooperation: regulatory and policy cooperation is essential from an efficiency perspective. The Clean Energy Package makes first steps in the direction of fostering cooperation among Member States.

Visionary pilot projects, e.g. on sector coupling and system security, should be developed on regional and transnational level. Good examples for a successful cooperation are the Baltic Energy Market Interconnection Plan (BEMIP) and the Pentalateral Forum.

The electrification of many sectors is the key to decarbonising our economy, in particular heating and cooling, transport and industry. This requires holistic strategies at the national level and beyond, setting emission reduction targets for sectors outside of the ETS, using carbon price signals where applicable, developing grids and other infrastructures and, above all, smooth planning and approval procedures.

To achieve the 2050 climate neutrality objective, all technical innovation options need to be considered. Efforts in research and demonstration should be accelerated so that energy can be used in the most efficient way in all sectors, keeping in mind a technology neutral approach. New solutions that enable bi-directional energy flows between sectors (electricity and gas, industrial, heat and transport networks) should be considered to enhance the flexibility of the system, for example:

Power-to-X” technologies to investigate how power, gas and heat networks could be further integrated and optimised, while ensuring resource efficiency and welfare benefits.

Smart charging and vehicle-to-grid” technologies to make all the flexibility benefits provided by e-mobility available for the energy system. Standardisation must be a priority to allow for seamless communication between cars, charging stations and power networks.

Smart thermal grids, which optimise heating and cooling supply and demand and link into the electricity system, to be incentivised by promoting flexible heating and cooling tariffs, as well as smart labelling and automation standards for buildings.

Our latest publication

Our latest publication

Position Paper

Exchange with EVP Timmermans – REEF’s three catalysts for the European Green Deal

On 16 March 2021, we in REEF were happy and proud to discuss the needs of the energy transition with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. We need a factor four acceleration in decarbonisation from 20% over 30 years to 35% over ten years; a factor four acceleration in European offshore renewable capacity; a just and inclusive transition and for the EU to connect to neighbouring countries in order to fully exploit our shared renewable energy potential.  Towards COP26 in Glasgow, REEF sees a window of opportunity for the energy transition, and we offer our three catalysts for the European Green Deal:

  1. A global deal on carbon to drive carbon out of hard-to-abate sectors must be reached at COP26;
  2. Green ammonia and green hydrogen offer the next step for remaining sectors especially for green heavy-duty transport, green shipping and green fertilisers;
  3. We need to enable inclusion for a just transition, recognising inclusiveness as the road to public acceptance, connecting with neighbours to our North, South, East and West.

Exchange with EVP Timmermans – REEF’s three catalysts for the European Green Deal

On 16 March 2021, we in REEF were happy and proud to discuss the needs of the energy transition with Executive Vice President of the European Commission Frans Timmermans. We need a factor four acceleration in decarbonisation from 20% over 30 years to 35% over ten years; a factor four acceleration in European offshore renewable capacity; a just and inclusive transition and for the EU to connect to neighbouring countries in order to fully exploit our shared renewable energy potential.  Towards COP26 in Glasgow, REEF sees a window of opportunity for the energy transition, and we offer our three catalysts for the European Green Deal:

  1. A global deal on carbon to drive carbon out of hard-to-abate sectors must be reached at COP26;
  2. Green ammonia and green hydrogen offer the next step for remaining sectors especially for green heavy-duty transport, green shipping and green fertilisers;
  3. We need to enable inclusion for a just transition, recognising inclusiveness as the road to public acceptance, connecting with neighbours to our North, South, East and West.
Download the full version
Download our illustration "Race to Zero"

Previous position papers and publications

Previous position papers and publications

9 Recommendations

Offshore, Hydrogen and Covid-19 Recovery 

REEF’s 9 Recommendations for a green recovery, and successful offshore and hydrogen strategies as presented to MEP Morten Helveg Petersen and the upcoming Portuguese Council Presidency

OPEN PDF

Action Plan

APPENDIX to the REEF action plan Recovery through an accelerated Green Deal

Specific recommendations from the Roundtable for Europe’s Energy Future(REEF) for the EU post-COVID economic Recovery plan as delivered on request to Energy Commissioner Simson

OPEN PDF

12 Recommendations

Europe’s Man on the Moon Projects

Our 12 recommendations for a successful implementation of the European post-COVID recovery, the EU offshore strategy and the EU hydrogen strategy

OPEN PDF

12 Joint Messages

REALISING THE EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL IN A TIME
OF GLOBAL EMERGENCY

In light of the COVID pandemic REEF stresses the importance of secure and sustainable energy supply and reliable digital infrastructure for our well-being and a functioning society

OPEN PDF

Executive Report

Our activity report for 2019

OPEN PDF

Connecting Europe

Guiding Principles for a climate neutral europe by 2050

OPEN PDF

Connecting Europe

Guiding principles for Europe’s decarbonisation by 2050

OPEN PDF

Position papers

REEF position papers on cyber security and data ownership

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable for Europe’s Energy Future MAR 2018

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable for Europe’s Energy Future OCT 2017

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists JUN 2017

OPEN PDF

Workshop on digitalisation and power grids

Workshop on Digitalisation and Power Grids
MAR 2017

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists DEC 2016

OPEN PDF

Concrete proposals for the winter package and beyond

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists MAY 2016

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists FEB 2016

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists OCT 2015

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists MAY 2015

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists JUN 2014

OPEN PDF

Joint Messages

Roundtable of European Energy Industrialists FEB 2013

OPEN PDF