Triggered in part by the escalating Middle East conflict and the resulting pressure on fossil fuel markets, AccelerateEU responds to a context in which 57% of the energy consumed in the EU still comes from imported fossil fuels, with €340 billion spent on such imports in 2025 and €24 billion in additional costs since March 2026. The Communication frames the clean energy transition not only as a climate goal but as a competitiveness and security imperative.

The strategy is built around five pillars:

• Closer EU coordination - joint action on gas storage, oil stock releases and national measures, supported by the Energy Union Task Force launched in 2025.
• Protecting consumers and businesses - temporary measures such as targeted income support, energy vouchers and reduced electricity excise duties for vulnerable households.
• More homegrown clean energy - a new electrification target and the removal of barriers to electrification in industry, transport and buildings, encouraging investment in renewables, manufacturing capacity and skills.
• Stepping up the energy system - full enforcement of existing rules, faster negotiations on the EU Grids Package and progress on Energy Highways projects.
• Boosting investments - mobilising private capital alongside EU and national public funding, including through the upcoming Clean Energy Investment Summit later in 2026.

For the construction ecosystem, several elements are particularly relevant: the focus on building electrification and removal of regulatory barriers, the parallel push on grids and energy infrastructure, and the continued attention to energy efficiency financing and energy poverty within the broader Citizens' Energy Package and REPowerEU framework.

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