Natalia Fabra discusses Energy Transition and Competition Policy at DG COMP Conference
Natalia Fabra took part in the DG COMP conference “Clean, Just and Competitive — A Blueprint for Europe’s Economies and Societies”, where she joined a panel discussion alongside Fatih Birol (Executive Director, International Energy Agency) and Luuk van Middelaar (Brussels Institute for Geopolitics), moderated by Barbara Moens (Financial Times).
The panel discussed how Europe’s energy and climate policies can reconcile security, affordability, sustainability, competitiveness, and strategic autonomy—objectives often portrayed as trade-offs, but which can be aligned by accelerating the energy transition and completing the Energy Union.
The discussion also addressed two persistent misconceptions: that climate policy undermines competitiveness, and that competition policy obstructs industrial policy. Panelists highlighted how well-designed climate policies can lower energy costs—through renewables and interconnection—and strengthen resilience through adaptation. Likewise, competition policy, via smart state aid rules, auctions, and instruments such as two-way Contracts for Difference (CfDs) and IPCEIs, can enhance the effectiveness of industrial policy and ensure that public funds deliver maximum value.
Finally, the panel examined Europe’s evolving energy dependencies. While increased U.S. LNG imports have reduced reliance on Russia, they also create new vulnerabilities, reinforcing the case for scaling up renewables and reducing fossil fuel demand. The discussion also touched on how sustainability considerations should be reflected in merger control—not as a justification to weaken enforcement, but as a reason to sharpen the assessment of innovation, dynamic competition, and long-term efficiencies, including relevant out-of-market effects.