The European Union is once again confronted with a severe energy crisis, driven by war and the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, with direct consequences for global fossil fuel markets. The first days of the current crisis have already imposed significant additional costs on European economies and citizens, further exacerbating cost-of-living pressures and energy insecurity and cost € billions in additional energy imports. To be precise, in just the first 30 days of the conflict, the EU’s fossil fuel import bill has increased by approximately €14 billion.

At the same time, major fossil fuel companies are recording extraordinary billions of euros in excess profits, a substantial portion of them generated within Europe by refiners and distributors.

This situation echoes the circumstances that led to the adoption of Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854, which introduced a temporary solidarity contribution on excess profits in the fossil fuel sector. That instrument demonstrated both the feasibility and effectiveness of coordinated EU-level action. An assessment by the European Commission calculated that total revenue collection was in the order of €28 billion during the fiscal years of 2022 and 2023.

In light of the current crisis and the EU’s long-term climate and security objectives, it is necessary to reintroduce and strengthen such a mechanism at Union level, complementing Member States’ efforts, to generate revenues to support vulnerable households, industry, and the clean energy transition.

We therefore call upon the European Commission to :

• Propose a renewed EU-wide windfall profit tax, building on Council Regulation (EU) 2022/1854, under Article 122(1) TFEU or an appropriate legal basis, to ensure a coordinated and timely response to the current energy crisis. The design of the solidarity contribution should be strengthened, including by increasing the share of excess profits captured, in order to better reflect the scale of windfall gains observed in the fossil fuel sector and ensure a fair contribution from those benefiting most from the crisis ;

• Expand the scope of the mechanism to address profits generated by international fossil fuel companies, including those not headquartered in the EU but deriving significant revenues from the European market, exploring all available legal and fiscal instruments to ensure comprehensive coverage ;

• Ensure that revenues are clearly and transparently earmarked for socially and environmentally beneficial purposes, including targeted support for vulnerable households, investment in energy efficiency, and accelerated deployment of renewable energy and electrification solutions ;

• Embed the mechanism within a broader strategy to reduce Europe’s dependence on fossil fuels, ensuring that crisis response measures are aligned with the EU’s climate objectives and contribute to a faster, fairer transition to a clean energy system.

The time has come to put an end to the structural vulnerabilities of Europe’s reliance on fossil fuels. A robust, EU-level windfall profit mechanism would not only ensure fairness in times of crisis but also reinforce public trust by demonstrating that extraordinary profits are being redirected towards the common good.

We urge the European Commission and Member States to act swiftly and decisively, and to take into account our recommendations ahead of the package of measures to tackle the energy crisis, to be unveiled on 22 April 2026, as well as ahead of the informal European Council on 23–24 April 2026.