European Commission

It is hard to imagine our ways of life without the use of electric power. Ever since the first light bulbs illuminated our cities, mankind's appetite for this flexible form of energy has kept on increasing. This trend is not about to change in the 21st century, as technical progress is bringing more and more electrical appliances into our every day lives. The Member States of the European Union have agreed on an ambitious plan of building the biggest market of electricity, connecting more than 500 million consumers throughout the continent. The European Commission is fully committed to fostering this project. A well functioning and competitive market is needed to satisfy the needs and expectations of the European citizens. It will in addition contribute to the policy response required to fight climate change and to secure our energy future. The Energy Market Observatory's series of Quarterly Reports on European Electricity Markets analyzes the main drivers behind price and volume evolutions, on the electricity markets across Europe. It also follows closely the interactions between countries and regions because the maturing of the internal market is expected to spur commercial cross border transactions.