In a written answer to a parliamentary question on 6 August 2026, Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas signalled that the European Commission will propose amending the EU's alternative fuels infrastructure regulation to strengthen price transparency at electric vehicle charging stations, a move that would affect charging operators, mobility service providers, and EV drivers across the bloc. The Commissioner's response came in reply to a question from Aldo Patriciello (PfE), who had argued that, unlike at petrol stations, EV charging prices are often only visible via apps or QR codes, creating consumer uncertainty and hampering the internal market.
Tzitzikostas confirmed that the Commission is currently reviewing Regulation (EU) 2023/1804, which sets the framework for alternative fuels infrastructure, and that the review explicitly covers user-facing issues such as price transparency. He stated that the Commission plans to adopt a legislative proposal to amend the regulation by the end of 2026. The Commissioner noted that under the existing rules, operators of publicly accessible recharging points with a power output of at least 50 kW must display full price information, including any occupancy fees, at the recharging point itself. However, for lower-power points, the regulation only requires that price information be made available, for example via an app, without mandating on-site display.
The answer stops short of committing to a specific obligation mirroring the physical price boards used for fossil fuels, but it does acknowledge the transparency gap raised by Patriciello and ties the upcoming amendment to the broader review of the regulation. The Commission's planned proposal would be the first legislative revision of the 2023 regulation, which already set EU-wide deployment targets for charging infrastructure. The review is expected to address not only price display but also other user-related aspects, potentially including payment methods and interoperability.
For charging point operators and mobility service providers, a new display requirement could mean additional compliance costs, particularly for smaller, lower-power stations that currently rely on digital-only price communication. For consumers, clearer on-site pricing would reduce uncertainty and make it easier to compare costs before plugging in, supporting the uptake of electric vehicles. The proposal's timing, by the end of 2026, suggests that the Commission is aiming for a relatively swift revision, but the exact scope of the display obligation will only become clear once the draft text is published.