The lack of progress on this front during the last two Commissions was rooted mainly in Germany’s Russian modernization project, which has shaped its approach to energy security. For its part, France has been reluctant to build an interconnected European grid, owing to its heavy reliance on nuclear energy.
类似地，欧盟委员会已经引入了负责能源事务的新副主席，并将能源事务重命名为“能源联盟”。这方面在过去两届委员会中迟迟得不到进展，这主要是拜德国的俄罗斯现代化工程所赐——这决定了它的能源安全方针。此外，法国因为严重依赖核能而一直不愿建立互相连通的欧洲电网。