By Constanze Picking, CERRE Director of Energy, Mobility and Sustainability
Two months ago, I started my new role as Director of Energy, Mobility and Sustainability. I am tremendously grateful to CERRE for trusting me to develop the practice when questions around Europe’s energy system are more important than ever.
One of my first projects was to help organise two policy sessions, which CERRE co-hosted at the European Sustainability Week (EUSEW) in Brussels.
As Commissioner Jørgensen noted in the opening panel at EUSEW, energy is no longer a standalone policy area. It sits at the heart of Europe’s economic competitiveness, industrial strategy, geopolitical security and decarbonisation objectives.
We need an energy system that is resilient, affordable, predictable and clean – which will require not only massive new investment and innovation, but much stronger coordination across Member States and different parts of the energy supply chain. Our current energy governance arrangements will need to adapt. CERRE has just launched a project analysing the most important shortcomings of the current institutional framework and how to overcome them.
Our early conclusions were discussed at EUSEW and our final report will be presented on 15 October in Brussels.
Another interesting debate is how to strike the right balance between market forces and public intervention. At EUSEW, I had the pleasure of moderating an expert panel on this question. While public support is essential to de-risk the massive investments needed in grids, clean generation, interconnectors, and flexibility solutions, there are also risks of over-intervention. For example, regional or local subsidies may harm progress towards a single energy market.
When we design public intervention measures, it is crucial that they strengthen, rather than distort, markets that are already functioning well. Europe’s electricity markets have delivered significant benefits—efficient resource allocation, minimised system costs, and strengthened cross-border competition—ultimately supporting both industry and consumers. Therefore, any intervention should be complementary to the market, carefully targeted, and designed with a clear pathway for phase-out.
I am very much looking forward to working with all of you, CERRE’s members and stakeholders, and hope I can contribute in a meaningful way to the completion of the European Energy Union.
