Europe’s fossil fuel dependence is hitting people twice this summer. Heatwaves, wildfires and drought are devastating lives and communities. At the same time, ever-growing energy bills are squeezing families and businesses.
As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen prepares her State of the European Union address in September, eco-union is joining 197 other organisations and businesses calling on her to make this fossil fuel crisis Europe’s last.
Because fossil fuel dependence isn’t just a climate threat. It leaves Europe exposed to volatile imports, unstable prices and economic shocks. A resilient Europe needs a different path: clean, affordable, home-grown energy.
Europe is paying twice for its fossil fuel dependence this summer.
The first bill arrives in monthly energy payments. Renewed geopolitical tensions have once again driven up the cost of imported oil and gas, adding tens of billions of euros to Europe’s energy bill. Households and businesses are once again paying for an energy dependence that leaves the continent extremely vulnerable to events far beyond its borders.
The second bill is arriving in a far more devastating form. Record-breaking heat has swept across southern and central Europe. Spain, particularly exposed to rising temperatures, drought and wildfires, has once again experienced the consequences of increasingly extreme climate conditions. Wildfires have destroyed vast fields, homes and businesses. Rivers have run dry, harvests suffered, health systems strained, and death tolls are still rising. Once again, Europeans are paying with their health, livelihoods and public finances. This is massive collateral damage for an energy system that can transition today if there is a clear plan across sectors and broad political buy-in.
The two bills are often treated as separate. They are not.
Both stem from the same structural weakness: Europe’s continued dependence on fossil fuels.
For years, European policymakers have described climate action, energy security and competitiveness as separate agendas. The reality is the opposite. The fastest route to cheaper and reliable energy, greater industrial resilience and stronger geopolitical autonomy is the same avenue that cuts emissions: ending Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels.
The European Union has already demonstrated that it can think strategically when confronted with existential challenges. Draghi’s report on competitiveness has reshaped the debate on Europe’s economic future. Letta’s work on the single market has done the same for economic integration of the single market.
Europe now needs an equally ambitious roadmap focused on a different strategic vulnerability: fossil fuel dependence.
Eco-union, as part of the coalition, advocates for a joint European roadmap to end fossil fuel dependency – and President Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the European Union address in September is a great opportunity to launch it.
An independent, science-based assessment that answers one simple question: what does it take to make this Europe’s last fossil fuel crisis?
The first thing is to quantify the true cost of fossil fuel dependence, not only through import bills but also through exposure to price shocks, health impacts, environmental damage and climate-related losses. Europe knows remarkably little about the full economic burden it imposes on itself by remaining tied to fossil fuels.
Next is identifying the fastest and most competitive pathway out. Renewable electricity, energy efficiency, electrification, stronger grids, storage and circular economy are solutions that already have enough evidence to show they work, but the challenge is deploying them at the required scale, speed and targeted support while securing the supply chains European industry depends on. For Spain, with its strong renewable energy potential, accelerating this transition also represents a major opportunity to strengthen energy security and competitiveness.
In addition, every euro of public money should be tested against a simple question: does it reduce Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels or prolong it? Too much public finance, too many subsidies and too many investment decisions still reinforce yesterday’s energy system rather than tomorrow’s. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Europe has spent roughly €450 billion every year importing fossil fuels, and the amount is expected to increase drastically in 2026.
The transition must bring Europeans along in a fair way. Regions, workers and households that are powering Europe’s economy cannot simply be left to absorb the costs of change. Instead, they should be at the centre of designing its solution pathways.
When talking about cost-effectiveness, nature must naturally become part of the strategy. Europe’s forests, wetlands, soils and urban green spaces are not simply environmental assets. They are critical infrastructure that cool cities, reduce flooding, store carbon and strengthen resilience against a changing climate, often at far lower cost than engineered alternatives. This is particularly relevant for Spain, where drought, wildfires, extreme heat and water scarcity are already placing increasing pressure on ecosystems, communities and economic activities.
None of these priorities are new. What has been missing is a single strategic framework that connects them.
Europe’s debate has become fragmented, driving a wedge between industrial policy, security, climate, agriculture and fiscal rules. Yet each new energy crisis demonstrates that they are facets of the same challenge: dependence on imported fossil energy leaves Europe weaker, poorer, less competitive and less resilient.
Spain should demand that the EU make ending fossil fuel dependence a strategic European priority. The State of the Union address by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen in September should do more than just respond to the latest crises. It should launch a roadmap to ensure there is no next one.
Europe cannot prevent every geopolitical shock or every heatwave. It can choose whether fossil fuels continue to make both far more costly than they need to be. This State of the Union is an opportunity to provide a clear vision of a future European energy system that is affordable, renewable, secure and homegrown.
The question is whether von der Leyen and her Commission really want to make this Europe’s last-ever fossil fuel crisis or not.