Spain and Portugal urge the EU to take action after the blackout.

Spain and Portugal urge the EU to speed up the construction of the electricity interconnector

Spain and Portugal have called on the European Commission to expedite the completion of the electricity interconnector with France, which is meant to connect the Iberian Peninsula to the main energy system of the European Union. This appeal came after a recent large-scale power outage that revealed the region's vulnerability, reports 'Glavcom' citing Bloomberg.

The energy ministers of Spain, Sara Aagesen Muñoz, and her Portuguese counterpart, Maria da Graça Carvalho, expressed outrage in a letter to the European Commissioner for Energy that the interconnector is operating at only 3% of its capacity, whereas it was planned to reach 15% by 2030. In their opinion, this poses a systemic threat to the stability of the European energy system.

Hindering the full utilization of renewable energy sources;

Causing an increase in electricity prices;

Undermining energy security;

Limiting the capacity to respond to crisis situations.

Spain and Portugal are actively trying to strengthen the connections of their energy networks with the rest of the EU but face resistance from France, which is not interested in the implementation of the project. The letter from the Spanish and Portuguese sides was sent less than a month before the meeting of EU energy ministers, which will take place on June 16 in Luxembourg.