Five European Union member states — Bulgaria, Finland, France, Poland, and Sweden — are pushing back against the European Commission's vision for a centrally planned electricity grid, according to a document seen by European Pulse. The coalition argues that the Commission's approach oversteps national competences and misunderstands how energy systems actually function.
The dispute centers on the Commission's legislative proposal to overhaul the EU's trans-European energy infrastructure rules, known as the Grids Package, unveiled in December. The plan calls for a "central scenario" to guide long-term investment across the bloc, aiming to accelerate the green transition and enhance energy security following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Regional Coordination vs. Central Command
The five countries contend that an exclusive focus on a top-down approach would hinder the Grids Package's objectives. Instead, they advocate for strengthening regional planning and evaluation. "A single scenario wrongly assumes that there is only one way to achieve energy and climate policy objectives," the document states.
They warn that Brussels-led planning could produce infrastructure that looks efficient in theory but proves economically wasteful in practice. Massive interconnectors might be built without adequate alignment with domestic grid reinforcements, leaving expensive infrastructure underused while consumers absorb the costs through higher electricity bills.
Sweden has been particularly outspoken. Energy Minister Ebba Busch announced on 11 May that Stockholm would halt construction of a new power cable to Denmark, citing the Commission's proposal to use revenues from electricity congestion charges to revamp the bloc's infrastructure. "The EU should not receive Swedes' electricity money. At the moment, Brussels is not listening to us," Busch said. The Swedish government is also reconsidering new cables to Finland.
Revenues from electricity congestion — excess funds generated when power lines reach capacity — are currently recycled into building better infrastructure or lowering consumer fees, according to the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators. Busch argues that the legislative text under negotiation would restrict member states' use of these revenues more than current law does.
Institutional Power at Stake
The negotiations over the Grids Package, which envisions €1.2 trillion in investment by 2040, are becoming a test of how the EU balances strategic coordination with national control in the climate transition era. The five countries claim the Commission is moving beyond coordination and edging toward political control over investment planning.
Particularly controversial is the idea that Brussels could initiate projects outside existing national planning mechanisms — a red line for the signatories. They insist that EU countries must retain political authority over energy choices, especially regarding national energy mixes and strategic infrastructure priorities.
"The division of responsibilities must be clear: member states must retain political decision-making powers, European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSOs) and Transmission System Operators (TSOs) must provide their technical expertise and knowledge of the energy grids, and the Commission must ensure coordination and dialogue with the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN) groups," the document reads.
National companies like France's Réseau de Transport d'Électricité and Sweden's Svenska kraftnät should remain the technical architects of planning, while the Commission should act primarily as coordinator rather than director, the letter suggests.
However, the five countries are not rejecting European coordination altogether. They back cross-border cooperation and recognize the need for interconnected infrastructure to achieve decarbonization and energy security.
MEP Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D/Bulgaria), leading the file in the European Parliament, broadly supports a more centralized EU-level planning system, though her draft report from 24 April also tries to preserve some national input and transparency safeguards. "The rapporteur supports the Commission's move towards a stronger Union-level planning architecture based on a central scenario, infrastructure-needs identification and a more harmonised cost-benefit analysis," her report states.
The EU Cyprus Presidency is currently mediating the political talks, which are expected to intensify as the legislative process moves forward. The outcome will shape not just Europe's electricity grid but the balance of power between Brussels and member states in the green transition.
