EA Members Call for Affordable Energy and Stronger Climate Action in Debate with Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera

During the European Committee of the Regions’ plenary debate on Climate and Energy with Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera, members of the European Alliance Group called for a climate transition that strengthens Europe’s competitiveness while empowering local and regional authorities.

Leading the discussion for the Group, EA Coordinator Andries Gryffroy (from Flanders) stressed that affordable, secure and sustainable energy must be at the heart of Europe’s industrial future. He warned that persistently high energy prices continue to undermine European competitiveness, while recent geopolitical crises have exposed the EU’s strategic energy vulnerabilities. Referring to his own opinion on wind power, Mr Gryffroy called for faster investment in electricity grids, simplified permitting procedures and a diversified low-carbon energy mix, including wind, solar, biomass and nuclear energy. He also underlined that greater investment in infrastructure, innovation and industrial capacity is essential if Europe is to achieve genuine energy autonomy and meet growing electricity demand.

During the debate, Sergio Pérez García (from Navarra) urged the European Commission to preserve the LIFE Programme in the next Multiannual Financial Framework. He described LIFE as a proven success story of the green transition, led and implemented directly by local and regional authorities, delivering tangible environmental and climate benefits to communities across Europe. Maintaining the programme, he argued, will be essential to continue supporting locally driven climate action across the European Union.

Together, the interventions reflected the European Alliance Group’s commitment to pursuing a competitive, resilient and locally driven energy transition that equips Europe’s regions to deliver the Green Deal on the ground.