REPowerEU: A closing window for energy democratisation

This briefing calls on policymakers to seize the opportunity of the ongoing revision of the Recovery and Resilience Plans (RRPs), as well as the drafting of the REPowerEU chapters, to boost citizen and local government participation in the energy transition.

All Member States should have submitted and published their updated national RRPs by the end of April 2023. However, the process has been delayed, as most countries are still drafting their REPowerEU chapters and/or haven’t formally submitted their REPowerEU chapters to the European Commission. Meanwhile, some Member States are equally amending their initial RRPs in the light of the energy crisis triggered by the war in Ukraine. This additional time is a window of opportunity for Member States to increase the support provided to energy communities within their national plans. Importantly, countries that have so far not dedicated budget lines for energy communities within their RRPs, can still seize the opportunity to do so.