Policy Snapshot – AccelerateEU

16 July 2026

Executive summary

The document sets out immediate and medium-term actions across five areas: EU coordination, consumer protection, clean energy acceleration, energy system upgrades, and investment mobilisation.

AccelerateEU intends to provide Member States and local authorities with immediate support to protect households and industries from rising costs. At the same time, it supports the EU’s goal to achieve energy independence, through a decarbonised and resilient energy system based on homegrown clean energy and electrification.

It sets out 5 key areas of action:

1. Closer EU coordination

• Better coordination between Member States on gas storage filling, possible oil stock releases and on the use of flexibilities to prevent shortages, including the safeguarding of jet fuel and diesel supplies.
• A new Fuel Observatory will map supply, prioritise alternative jet fuel sourcing, and optimise distribution.
• The Commission will map existing refining capacities in Europe, assess needs, and work on measures to ensure full use of – and sufficient – domestic refining capacity. 2. Protecting consumers and industry from price shocks

2. Protecting consumers and industry from price shocks

• Emergency measures must be targeted, timely, temporary and tied to long-term solutions.
• Member States can activate a wide range of measures under the existing EU legislative and policy framework, including the Citizens’ Energy Package.
• A State aid temporary framework will support strategic investment in energy infrastructure and clean technologies.

3. Accelerating the shift to home ground clean energy and electrification

• Boost domestic production of homegrown clean energy – such as renewables, nuclear and sustainable biofuels.
• Improving insulation, electrifying heating and cooling, and replacing inefficient household appliances can deliver immediate and long-lasting energy savings and cost relief. This will also boost clean tech manufactured in the EU and create jobs.
• The upcoming Electrification Action Plan will have an ambitious electrification target and measures to address barriers in the industrial, transport and building sectors.

4. Strengthening EU energy system

• Full implementation of existing EU energy legislation, fast-track negotiations on the EU Grids Package and adoption of a legal proposal on network charges and taxation. The Commission will also present a legislative proposal on network charges and taxation, ensuring among others electricity is taxed less than fossil fuels.
• Speeding up planning and permitting of energy infrastructure, and support to Member States to increase battery, flexibility and thermal storage capacities.

5. Boosting investment 

• The Commission will empower Member States to maximise the use of available EU funding for energy-related investments (€219 billion from Recovery and Resilience Facility; cohesion policy funds).
• Encourage the use of EU ETS revenues to accelerate electrification investment and reduce electricity prices.
• To mobilise private investments, the Commission therefore adopted a Clean Energy Investment Strategy in March 2026. The Commission will also organise a Clean Energy Investment Summit that will bring together institutional investors and industry to accelerate private financing.

Top actions from the AccelerateEU Annex

Boosting the uptake of clean technologies

1. Large-scale subsidies for heat pumps, geothermal and solar energy, combined with a EUR 500 million ‘Heat Fund’ for industry to convert from fossil fuels to biomass, wind and solar,.
2. Encourage the uptake of heat pumps in new buildings by 2027.
3. Roll out social leasing schemes for electric vehicles.
4. Reduce VAT to 6% for heat pumps, solar PV and solar boilers.
5. Providing vulnerable households with up to 100% subsidy to replace fossil boilers.
6. Obligation for companies to implement all energy efficiency measures that have a payback period of less than five years.
7. Subsidy scheme for zero-emission commercial vehicles for companies.
8. Lower electricity prices for heat pumps in exchange for system flexibility.
9. Organising and participating in double-sided auctions for eSAF production under the eSAF Early Movers Coalition.
10. Tax or other financial incentives for corporate e-vehicle fleets.

Building-sector measures 

1. Provide up to 50% subsidies and zero-interest loans (up to EUR 50,000) for building renovations, including insulation.
2. Integrated plan combining behavioural measures, quick-payback investments and long-term renovation, targeting 20% energy savings over two years.
3. Awareness raising campaign to reduce heating temperatures by 1 °C and increase cooling temperatures by 1 °C in public buildings.
4. Energy-saving ordinances targeting the public sector, businesses and households with rules on heating, lighting and energy use, to reduce gas consumption by approximately 20 TWh per year.