EU energy independence plan needs greater investment to meet 2030 targets

27 1 minute read

Listen to this article

The European Union’s REPowerEU plan is struggling to meet its investment and energy security goals, as a lack of funding commitments and weak oversight are jeopardizing efforts to reduce reliance on Russian fossil fuels, according to the European Court of Auditors (ECA).

In a report released in September 2026, the ECA’s Special Report 21/2026 revealed that EU member states had only committed €54.3 billion through specific REPowerEU recovery plan measures, which is about 18% of the estimated €300 billion needed by 2030 for additional investments.

Launched in May 2022, REPowerEU’s mission is to diversify energy sources, speed up the development of renewable energy, and enhance cross-border electricity connections.

However, the auditors found that national energy and climate plans were lacking in concrete measures and targets to facilitate implementation. The weak monitoring systems also made it challenging to evaluate the program’s effectiveness.

Mihails Kozlovs, the ECA Member responsible for the report, stated:

“Four years after its launch, REPowerEU has stalled, even though several hundred billion euros have been made available.”

While imports of Russian oil and gas have dropped significantly, the auditors pointed out that sanctions, mild winters, and reduced energy consumption also played a role in this decline, making it tough to pinpoint REPowerEU’s direct impact.

The report further noted limited progress toward the plan’s ambitious goal of adding 103GW of renewable energy capacity, along with inadequate investment in cross-border energy infrastructure. Auditors identified only three dedicated interconnection measures across two member states, one of which was later withdrawn.

The ECA is urging for stronger governance, better investment monitoring, and enhanced coordination among EU countries to speed up the clean energy transition and bolster Europe’s long-term energy security.

The full findings are available in the European Court of Auditors’ Special Report 21/2026.