The European Union's REPowerEU energy independence plan needs a major boost, with member states committing only 54.3 billion euros ($63.15 billion) of the 300 billion euros required, the European Court of Auditors said Wednesday.
The ECA said REPowerEU has struggled to influence national energy policies, raising concerns about the EU's ability to meet its energy independence goals.
The plan, launched in May 2022, aims to end Russian fossil fuel imports by diversifying supplies, expanding renewable capacity and improving cross-border energy connections.
The European Commission estimated that REPowerEU would require about 300 billion euros in additional investment by 2030 and made the funding available through the Recovery and Resilience Facility.
However, the 27 member states committed just 54.3 billion euros of that funding, while most national energy and climate plans lacked specific actions or targets to advance REPowerEU.
The ECA said the funding gap could indicate that the original investment needs were overstated or that countries have struggled to turn the plan's goals into concrete measures.
EU sanctions have sharply reduced Russian oil imports, although the ECA said the bloc cannot determine how much Russian crude still enters through third countries or shadow-fleet tankers.
Russian gas imports have also declined, although some EU countries imported more Russian gas in 2024 than before the Ukraine war, while mild winters and high prices also reduced energy demand.
REPowerEU helped accelerate some projects, but its impact on renewable capacity remains negligible compared with the 103 gigawatt target, the auditors said.
The plan has also made little progress on cross-border grid links, with ECA identifying only three measures across two member states, and one later being dropped.