The coming years are marked by accelerated decarbonization, growing concerns about affordability, digital transformation, and increasing complexity in market management.
The energy crisis of 2022–2023 highlights the need for rapid regulatory responses to market shocks. Countering the price crisis required the adoption of urgent legislative measures at European and national level. This experience reinforces the importance of regulatory flexibility and coordination in crisis situations, ensuring that measures are both effective and proportionate, without losing sight of the need for predictability in regulatory action.
Regulatory independence remains a key prerequisite for effective regulation based on an impartial and objective assessment of the needs of the energy sector.
The Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) has published its Strategy for 2026-2029, setting out its vision, mission, and strategic priorities at a time when the European energy sector is undergoing its most significant transformation to date.
Megatrends shaping the energy transition
Several megatrends are shaping the future of the European energy sector, each of which represents both an opportunity and a challenge for regulators.
1. Increasing value of the individual
Consumers are playing a more active role in energy markets, whether through self-consumption, demand response, or community-based energy initiatives. Regulators must facilitate individualised services while ensuring that all can benefit and that the system functions properly.
2. Climate change and climate action
The path to carbon neutrality by 2050 remains a key objective, demanding a strategic mix of renewable deployment, energy efficiency and infrastructure investments.
3. Governance challenges and innovations
The increasing complexity of the energy sector calls for balanced governance, ensuring that national regulatory frameworks are aligned with EU-wide objectives while maintaining flexibility for Member States.
4. Aggravation of the energy and resource situation
Global supply chain disruptions, price volatility and the need for energy security have reinforced the urgency of diversifying supply sources and enhancing system resilience.
5. Digitalisation, AI,and technological change
The rapid adoption of AI, smart grids and digital platforms is transforming market operations and consumer engagement. This requires a regulatory approach that integrates innovation with consumer rights and data protection.
6. Geopolitical upheavals and power shifts
Energy security has become a top priority, renewing Europe’s commitment to reducing dependency on external energy supplies and reinforcing regional cooperation.
7. Global price disparities and competitiveness
Europe’s energy sector must remain competitive while transitioning to a sustainable model. Striking the right balance between affordability, investment attractiveness and decarbonization is essential.
The present 2026-2029 Strategy extends CEER’s holistic approach, reinforcing resilience and affordability for the benefit of all users – residential as well as industrial –, through full implementation of existing and upcoming frameworks. NRA independence and collaboration are key pillars, alongside sustainability, security of supply and consumer empowerment, to meeting CEER’s 2026-2029 regulatory priorities for ensuring regulatory stability and citizen engagement amidst change to reach the decarbonization goals efficiently.
CEER’s strategic priorities for the period 2026–2029:
1. Optimising market-oriented solutions to deliver best results for consumers and the energy system
Alongside the key role of market mechanisms, CEER emphasizes the importance of optimizing existing infrastructure and stimulating effective investments to expand the electricity grid.
CEER supports incentives that ensure effective investment in electricity grid expansion in a cost-effective and timely manner to support the energy transition. By promoting regulatory frameworks that enable efficient investment in new infrastructure, as well as increasing investment in flexibility, CEER supports faster decarbonisation while reducing the financial burden on consumers.
Optimising the expansion of the electricity grid through coordinated approaches, improved planning processes and accelerated permitting is essential to ensure security of supply and effectively achieve climate goals.
2. Empowering and protecting consumers, while promoting affordability and accessibility
Regulators recognise the importance of ensuring that not all consumers can — or will — engage with the energy market in the same way. Tailored advice, diverse options and targeted support are therefore essential to ensure that vulnerable and energy-poor consumers are not left behind in the energy transition.
3. Deepening the Integration of a Decarbonised Energy System
The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the 2022 energy price crisis marked a turning point for European gas markets. Security of supply was upheld, but the crisis triggered major shifts – notably the reversal of gas flows, with Russian pipeline imports replaced by LNG and supplies from the west. This opens Europe to the global market, reducing old but also bringing new depend-encies and vulnerabilities amid growing international competition.
Natural gas demand is declining, driven by electrification and climate goals. At the same time, the integration of low-carbon and renewable gases like biomethane and hydrogen is gaining momentum, raising new questions about infrastructure, market design and cost recovery. Gas will remain essential for system flexibility and security, even as its overall role shrinks.
CEER advocates market mechanisms that improve the integration, storage, and use of liquefied natural gas, as well as cross-border cooperation. It encourages infrastructure planning and cost recovery models that reflect declining demand for natural gas and the changing role of gas. This includes facilitating the redeployment of assets and avoiding unnecessary investments in fossil infrastructure, thereby supporting a smoother and more sustainable transition to a decarbonized energy system.
