Five EU states ask London for regional contributions for access to the European electricity market

Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Luxembourg and the Netherlands are calling for the United Kingdom’s integration into the European electricity market to be conditional on British contributions to the EU’s regional development funds. The proposal complicates negotiations ahead of the EU–United Kingdom summit on November 20.

In a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa, the leaders of the five countries argue that London should not benefit from the advantages of closer ties with the EU without making a financial contribution to reducing economic, social and territorial disparities among Europe’s regions.

A draft joint declaration seen by Euronews indicates broad support from European leaders for this condition, although the text may be amended before the summit. London is considering the proposal, with no amount having been determined. British Undersecretary Martin McCluskey stated that any payment must be advantageous for the United Kingdom.

A possible model is Norway, which contributes approximately 391 million euros annually to grants for Europe’s poorer regions. In exchange for closer energy cooperation, the EU and the United Kingdom could accelerate projects in the North Sea, including the development of offshore wind energy and shared capacities of up to 300 GW.