Opening statement by Commissioner Jørgensen in plenary debate on the Resilience of the EU grid infrastructure: First lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula

European Commission -Speech [Check Against Delivery] Opening statement by Commissioner Jørgensen in plenary debate on the Resilience of the EU grid infrastructure: First lessons from the blackout in the Iberian Peninsula Strasbourg, 7 May 2025 Thank you President, Honourable members, I heard a very striking reflection from somebody living in Barcelona, one of millions affected by last week's power cut. She said, “In a world built on technology, it took a blackout to illuminate what matters most.” She was referring to the solidarity shown by people in the city, from close neighbours to complete strangers, who offered help, food, and water to those who needed it. I think I speak for us all when I applaud the solidarity and selflessness of these people, as well as the authorities and workers in Spain, Portugal and the South of France, who took decisive actions to restore power. I have spoken with the ministers of Energy in both Spain and Portugal and assured them of the Commission's full support, as well as our cooperation and assistance with ongoing investigations. The analysis of Spanish and Portuguese authorities will be completed by an independent investigation from ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity. This report will be then discussed in the Electricity Coordination Group, with the participation of the Commission. We await the results of these investigations, but we should not wait to take...