The call was made in a letter sent by Spain’s Vice-President and Minister for the Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, and Portugal’s Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, to their French counterpart, Marc Ferracci, who oversees the Industry and Energy sector.
The letter was disclosed today by Sara Aagesen’s office.
The “unprecedented” blackout that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula on April 28 highlighted the need to strengthen interconnection infrastructures as well as the importance of cross-border connectivity, which is “a priority” not only for the three countries involved but for the entire European Union, the text states.
The energy incident, as mentioned in the missive, requires action at both the technical and political levels.
While progress has been made in recent years, the ministers emphasize that the Iberian Peninsula remains “an energy island” with interconnection levels falling below the EU’s targets of 10% and 15% set for 2020 and 2030, respectively. Currently, these levels stand at 3%.
In addition to specific incidents like the one on April 28, improving interconnections will positively impact decarbonization goals, price convergence, and supply stability, while also promoting cohesion among various member states, the letter points out.
Sara Aagesen and Maria da Graça Carvalho expressed regret that two of the interconnections between Spain and France — Aragon-Atlantic Pyrenees and Navarre-Landes — were excluded from France’s 2025-2035 grid development plan, despite the EU considering them of general interest.
In the missive, the two officials recall that the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, conveyed his concerns to his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron, who responded that technical studies are underway, emphasizing that it is a “sensitive” issue for the local communities on both sides of the Pyrenees.
For all these reasons, the officials urge France to participate in a ministerial meeting to be held this year, allowing the three countries and the European Commission to establish a roadmap with “milestones and concrete steps” to achieve European objectives.
