“Europe cannot afford to remain exposed to increasingly frequent energy shocks,” the document says.
At the core of the proposal are practical recommendations to target daily habits. These include the proposal to “raise awareness and offer trainings on eco-driving” to curb fuel consumption, alongside car-free days in cities, expanding bike lanes, promoting cargo bikes for deliveries, and requiring companies to limit air travel for work.
Governments are also encouraged to promote at least one day of teleworking per week, slash public transport fares or make them free for some users, and push people away from private car use.
Other proposals include encouraging cargo ships to slow down — so-called “slow steaming” — to save fuel, and asking public and commercial buildings to lower boiler temperatures or adjust air conditioning settings.
The push comes as the conflict in the Persian Gulf continues to choke up 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas trade, resulting in soaring prices and the risk of shortages of jet fuel, diesel and gasoline.
The EU spent more than €330 billion on energy imports in 2025, and an additional €22 billion on fossil fuel imports since the beginning of the war in Iran, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Monday.