Speaking to the bloc on Friday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen argued that dependence on imported fossil fuels had pushed energy costs up by €106 billion ($119 billion) without bringing any additional supply online, and urged member states to reassess their approach to energy consumption. At a post-summit news conference in Brussels, she argued that Europe's ongoing dependence on imported oil and gas leaves its economy vulnerable to geopolitical forces outside its influence.
Gas prices climbed roughly 140% from late February onward, while diesel costs approximately doubled — figures that point to the financial strain tied to the continuing energy situation. Von der Leyen also called on consumers and industries to rethink how energy is used, advocating a shift away from imported fossil fuels toward electricity generated within Europe. Her remarks pointed to Europe's obligation to press ahead with its energy transition, with an emphasis on power sources that are both affordable and produced within the continent — spanning renewables alongside nuclear.
Fluctuating and persistently elevated energy costs drew attention from European Council President Antonio Costa, who framed them as a factor bearing directly on the continent's ability to compete and on the financial pressures felt by ordinary households and businesses alike. The statement attributed the bloc's energy difficulties to two structural factors: a long-standing reliance on fossil fuels and the absence of a fully unified internal energy market.
A package of near-term steps aimed at cushioning households and businesses from climbing energy costs was laid out by von der Leyen following talks that produced collective backing for the proposals. Among the steps outlined are a coordinated release of 100 million barrels of oil and diesel administered by the International Energy Agency across a four-month window, a broadening of the temporary state aid framework first put in place in February along with an extension of its duration, and a one-year delay to the point at which the methane regulation takes effect.
A formal dialogue on European refining capacity is set to be convened by the bloc, with the stated purpose of bolstering domestic processing infrastructure and putting downward pressure on fuel costs.
Trade ties between the EU and China drew attention in her remarks, with von der Leyen pressing for the economic relationship to be rebalanced both quickly and at meaningful scale. The bloc's trade gap with China hit approximately €1 billion daily across 2025, with projections pointing toward a wider shortfall through 2026, according to her remarks.
Reaffirming the bloc's backing for Ukraine, Costa indicated that funding to meet the country's financial requirements through the current year had been identified, while also urging the European Commission to put forward proposals covering any additional financing gaps that would arise in 2027. A €70 billion funding shortfall projected for Ukraine in 2027 prompted von der Leyen to urge global partners to raise their financial commitments.
Irregular crossings into the EU had dropped to their lowest point since 2021, Costa told reporters, while adding that the bloc's framework for handling migration and asylum cases remained in need of reform. A further gathering of EU leaders — set for Alden Biesen, Belgium, in February 2027 — was put forward by Costa as a way to take stock of where defence and competitiveness efforts stand after earlier rounds of talks.
