At the end of April 2026, the European Commission published its new Communication, “AccelerateEU”, with a clear objective: protect Europeans from fossil energy crises while accelerating the shift to clean, homegrown energy.
At a time of rising fossil fuel prices and geopolitical uncertainty, this initiative sends an important signal. Europe is stepping up efforts to reduce its dependence on imported fossil resources and strengthen its energy sovereignty.
Driving non-fossil solutions across sectors
AccelerateEU outlines key EU-level initiatives to incentivise the transition to non-fossil energy sources. It highlights the role of innovative solutions, including:
- eSAFs (electro Sustainable Aviation Fuels)
- eSMFs (electro Sustainable Maritime Fuels)
- Fossil-free chemicals
These pathways are essential for defossilising sectors where direct electrification alone is not sufficient.
The announced targeted amendment to the production rules for RFNBOs (Renewable Fuels of Non-Biological Origin) is a particularly important step toward creating a more enabling regulatory framework.
CCU as a key enabler of the transition
CO₂ Value Europe strongly welcomes the recognition of Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) in this context.
CCU complements direct electrification by enabling indirect electrification, converting clean electricity into sustainable molecules. This makes it possible to defossilise hard-to-abate sectors such as aviation, maritime, and parts of the chemical industry.
By turning captured carbon into a resource, CCU supports both emissions reduction and the development of a circular, climate-neutral economy.
From ambition to implementation
While AccelerateEU sets a strong direction, the next step is clear: turning ambition into action. The initiative lays out a number of actions to increase clean technology upscaling, and they’ll need to be implemented swiftly.
We call on EU leaders to support this agenda with concrete incentives to scale up alternatives to fossil fuels, including investment support, market incentives, and a stable regulatory framework.
Rather than continuing to spend billions on fossil imports, Europe should invest in clean technologies like CCU to strengthen its resilience, competitiveness, and industrial leadership.
Overall, AccelerateEU is a strong and welcome signal. It recognises that a successful transition requires a broad portfolio of solutions, and that CCU has a key role to play.
