Barry Cowen addresses the European Parliament on urgent energy security measures and the need for a coordinated EU response. He outlines Ireland's targeted supports and urges acceleration of a European supergrid alongside predictable planning and permitting.
Energy shock and national response: Barry Cowen says member states are responding with targeted, temporary supports to the current energy shock. In Ireland's case he credits prudent economic management for creating the fiscal space to intervene while emphasising these measures are costed and focused.
Ireland's capacity and partnerships: Cowen points to domestic potential, from offshore wind off Ireland's western seaboard to public-private partnerships such as Amazon working with Bòrd na mBonne in Offaly. He presents these as concrete examples of how Ireland can contribute to wider European energy resilience.
Why Europe must act: Cowen argues that Europe has the capacity to strengthen its energy security but must match ambition with delivery. He calls for an accelerated European supergrid and statutory, predictable planning and permitting systems with clear timelines to prevent lost opportunities.
Consequences and control: According to Cowen, faster delivery of infrastructure and efficient permitting will reduce Europe’s exposure to global shocks and enable Europe to take control of its own energy future. The speech urges Member States and EU institutions to prioritise ambition backed by practical, timely action.
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Colleagues, we meet once again in the midst of an energy shock. Member states, including my own, have committed to and are responding with targeted and temporary supports. In Ireland's case, that's only possible because of the prudent economic management of recent years, allowing interventions during past crisis to present situation and in the event of current circumstances persisting. Measures, I may add, that are costed and focused, not driven by the usual bluff and bluster or calls for action without any regard for cost or consequence. But this moment must also sharpen our focus at European level. Because the reality is this, Europe has the capacity. I see it at home from the potential of offshore wind along Ireland's western seaboard, to public-private partnerships such as Amazon, working with Bòrd na mBonne in my own home county of Offaly. But if we're serious about energy security, we must now match ambition with delivery. That means accelerating a European supergrid and putting in place planning and permitting systems that are predictable, that are efficient and bound by statutory timelines, not processes that take years while opportunity slips away. And that's how we'll strengthen our energy security, reduce our exposure to global shocks and ultimately, that is how Europe will take control of its own energy future.
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