Under the motto “An Autonomous Union. Open to the World” and following their New Industrial Policy, Cyprus assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second time on 1 January 2026. As a key pillar of the presidency’s agenda, the Transport, Telecoms and Energy Council (TTE) is driving efforts towards 2030+ goals, aiming to shape a future-ready Europe through competitiveness, resilience and strategic autonomy in transport, telecommunications, and energy.
The programme states, “In energy, the (Cyprus) Presidency will contribute to building a resilient, self-sufficient and truly integrated Energy Union, with citizen empowerment at its core. Key priorities include enhancing grid infrastructure and interconnections, advancing towards a digitalised and cyber-resilient energy sector and fostering inclusive dialogues and coordinated actions that support energy affordability.”
In line with these efforts, several developments occurred, and here are some highlights:
1. In January 2026, the Cyprus Minister of Foreign Affairs, Constantinos Kombos, and the European Parliament reached a provisional political agreement on targeted amendments to the Regulation establishing the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument – Global Europe (NDICI). These changes aim to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the External Action Guarantee (EAG), a key instrument supporting a wide range of initiatives, including green hydrogen projects in Namibia, and enabling the EU to respond more rapidly and coherently to global challenges in an increasingly competitive environment.
2. Last month, the Council updated the Measuring Instruments Directive (MID), which will facilitate the deployment of electric vehicle chargers, compressed gas dispensers and thermal energy meters, while supporting the use of emerging gases such as hydrogen to help decarbonise industrial processes.
3. In the same week, following “The Clean Industrial Deal – A joint roadmap for competitiveness and decarbonisation” published a year earlier, the Council also approved the Research Fund for Coal and Steel, marking the first General Approach under the Cyprus Presidency.
4. On the 16th of March, EU energy ministers debated the European grids package, focusing on infrastructure planning, financing, and faster permitting to improve cross-border connectivity, electrification, and grid resilience. In this moment of acute geopolitical upheaval and unpredictability – an increasingly complex global environment that is reshaping global trade, energy security, and economic policies, Cyprus reaffirmed that “Europe must strengthen its economic resilience, secure critical raw materials, and advance long-term growth, while fostering a robust European research and innovation landscape.” The package places particular emphasis on the “readiness of dual-use infrastructure”, with several key priorities:
– Upgrading four Priority Military Mobility corridors: North Sea–Baltic, Rhine–Alpine, Atlantic, and Orient/East-Med. The Rhine–Alpine and Atlantic corridors both pass through Ireland. Efforts will focus on addressing bottlenecks identified in the existing pipeline of 500 “hotspot projects,” with increased support foreseen under the next MFF.
– Strengthening the resilience and cybersecurity of strategic dual-use infrastructure, including ports, airports, bridges, tunnels, and transport-related energy systems, while also introducing a new resilience toolbox to identify and protect critical infrastructure, improve preparedness against a wide range of threats, address risks linked to foreign ownership, and reinforce cybersecurity.
– Securing energy supply for military transport by integrating defence requirements into upcoming EU energy security legislation and sustainable fuels strategies.
– Advancing investment in clean energy: on 10 March 2026, the European Commission adopted the Clean Energy Investment Strategy under the Affordable Energy Action Plan. This aims to close the gap between available private capital and required investment, de-risk projects, and mobilise financing for grids, innovative clean energy technologies, and energy efficiency. The European Investment Bank Group is expected to provide over €75 billion in financing over the next three years to support the clean energy transition. This includes up to €500 million (indicative) for the Strategic Infrastructure Investment Fund from the EIB group, supplying anchor capital for key energy infrastructure projects and supporting the objectives of the European Grids Package.
The Irish Presidency could pick up on these ambitions, considering the Cyprus presidency’s focus on EU strategic autonomy in transport, telecommunications and energy and integrating SH2AMROCK’s first experiences in building the first hydrogen ecosystems in Ireland.