Statement of President von der Leyen, Executive Vice-President Šefčovič and Commissioner Simson on the 2nd anniversary of the REPowerEU Plan to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports

2nd anniversary of the REPowerEU Plan

When Russia invaded Ukraine, and turned its energy resources into an economic weapon against Europe, our reaction was rapid and robust. We adopted the REPowerEU Plan to end Europe's dependency on Russian fossil fuels.

Two years later, the results of our collective efforts are clear to all. We have made a massive cut in Russian energy imports, squeezing the Kremlin's war economy and standing in solidarity with our Ukrainian friends. We have worked with reliable international partners to replace Russian imports where needed, including through joint purchasing under the EU Energy Platform. We have strived together as Europeans to reduce our energy demand, and we have invested to accelerate the replacement of imported fossil fuels with home-grown renewable energy. These efforts have resulted in an unprecedented roll-out of renewable energy and a historic realignment of our energy supplies.

When Russia's actions drove a sharp increase in energy prices in the summer of 2022, we agreed a wide range of measures to secure our energy supply and to stabilise the markets. Prices are now back around pre-war levels.

We have broken our energy dependency on Russia, and Putin's pipelines are no longer a tool of blackmail against Europe.

We have truly REPowered Europe, redrawn the energy landscape, and made a big step forward on Europe's green transformation.

Now, we are pressing ahead with our efforts to completely phase out Russian fossil fuel imports, and to provide more secure, clean and affordable energy to European citizens and to strengthen the competitiveness of our industries.