The June 2026 edition of EU in Focus by TRENDS Belgium Virtual Office examines the growing importance of energy security for Europe under the overarching theme: “Europe’s energy dilemma: competitiveness, security and decarbonization.”
Europe’s energy debate has entered a new phase. The war in Ukraine exposed the risks associated with excessive dependence on a single energy supplier and forced the European Union to rapidly reduce its reliance on Russian fossil fuels. The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has delivered a second wake-up call. It has demonstrated that even a more diversified energy system remains vulnerable to geopolitical shocks, disruptions to global shipping routes and price volatility in international fossil-fuel markets.
These crises have reinforced the close relationship between energy policy, economic competitiveness and geopolitical security. Persistently high energy prices place European industry at a disadvantage compared with competitors in the United States and China, particularly in energy-intensive sectors such as chemicals, steel, fertilizers and metals. At the same time, Europe’s continued dependence on imported fossil fuels leaves households and businesses exposed to developments far beyond the continent’s borders.
This edition explores how the EU is seeking to balance the need for immediate crisis management with the longer-term transformation of its energy system. It first examines the structural weaknesses of Europe’s energy market, including fragmented national policies, insufficient cross-border infrastructure and the uneven distribution of the costs and benefits of greater energy integration. It then assesses how the war in Ukraine and the disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have reshaped the energy-security debate, highlighting the changing nature of Europe’s external dependencies.
