Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen, in a written answer on 25 June 2026, defended the European Commission's Clean Industrial Deal (CID) as the cornerstone of efforts to reduce energy bills for energy-intensive industries, while signalling upcoming legislative proposals on network charges, taxation, and a revised Emissions Trading System (ETS) to create an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank. The answer, responding to a question from ECR MEP Ivaylo Valchev, aims to reassure industry stakeholders that the Commission is addressing high energy costs and bureaucratic burdens, though it offers few new concrete commitments beyond already-announced initiatives.
The question, submitted on 3 February 2026, highlighted a sharp decline in EU chemicals sector investment (over 80% in 2025), a doubling of plant closures, and 20,000 job losses since 2022, warning of dependence on China for critical raw materials. Valchev pressed the Commission on whether decarbonisation plans are over-ambitious and whether it would abolish carbon quotas. Jørgensen's answer, however, reaffirmed the CID's direction, citing the internal electricity market's EUR 34 billion annual benefits and potential for an additional EUR 40 billion by 2030. He listed already-published initiatives: the Affordable Energy Action Plan, the CID state aid framework, the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the Industrial Accelerator Act, the AccelerateEU plan for energy resilience, and the Middle East Temporary State Aid Framework.
Jørgensen announced that further measures in 2026 will include a Circular Economy Act and a legislative proposal to revise the ETS, creating an Industrial Decarbonisation Bank to support decarbonisation investments in energy-intensive industries. He also promised targeted short-term relief through proposals on network charges and taxation to mitigate high electricity prices. The answer did not address Valchev's call to abolish carbon quotas, instead doubling down on decarbonisation as a path to competitiveness.
The policy orientation remains firmly pro-integration and pro-decarbonisation, with the Commission betting on clean energy deployment and market completion to lower costs. Stakeholder impact is mixed: energy-intensive industries may benefit from future network charge reforms and the Decarbonisation Bank, but face continued regulatory pressure from the ETS and CBAM. EU consumers could see long-term price stability, while Chinese competitors may gain from continued EU production capacity losses. The answer signals no major policy reversal, with institutional follow-up expected through legislative proposals later in 2026.