The EU Commission’s proposal to confiscate revenues from national electricity grids is facing strong opposition. Swedish electricity customers could be forced to finance costly investments in other countries – and now Sweden and several other countries are trying to stop the plans.

The EU Commission wants to carry out a comprehensive expansion of Europe’s power grid to “enable the green transition” and reach the goal of net zero emissions by 2050. The idea is to make it easier to transport electricity from, for example, wind power in the North Sea or solar power in Southern Europe to other parts of the continent.

But the question of funding has become a point of conflict. A central feature of the proposal is that part of the revenues from national power grids – so-called congestion revenues – will be confiscated at the EU level and pooled in a common EU fund. The money would then, by decision in Brussels, be used to finance new cross-border electricity connections and to strengthen the grids in countries that have neglected to maintain and expand their national electricity networks.

In practice, this means that electricity customers – households and businesses – in countries with relatively well-developed power systems, such as Sweden and France, are expected to pay for the expansion and maintenance in countries that have let their infrastructure decay.

Swedish Opposition: “It’s our money”

The proposal is met with clear criticism from the Swedish side. Deputy Minister for Energy, Maja Lundbäck, says:

– The proposal is essentially about taking 20 percent of our money to solve problems elsewhere, when we have our own challenges. We cannot accept that, since it is the Swedish people’s money and money generated in our country.

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Sweden is the EU’s biggest electricity exporter. Revenues from exports are currently used to strengthen its own grid, including managing price differences between northern and southern Sweden.

According to figures from Svenska kraftnät, these congestion revenues amounted to just over SEK 25 billion in 2025, with a total buffer of up to SEK 75–80 billion. A large portion of the funds is already earmarked for investments in the Swedish grid.

There is now concern that the EU will force Sweden to redirect these funds, thereby sabotaging long-term national investments.

France: “Catastrophic Power Grid Package”

France also opposes the proposal, but with a slightly different emphasis. French representatives are critical that the EU Commission, according to the proposal, would get significant influence over how the money is used.

It is perceived that member states are being forced to relinquish control over their own resources. A former French official describes the process as a failure.

– Both in form and content, the presentation of the grid package was catastrophic.

More Countries Have Doubts

Resistance is not limited to Sweden and France. Other countries also express concern.

Austria, which earns money from transporting electricity through its grid, warns that the proposal may hinder their ability to use these revenues to solve their own capacity problems.

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At the same time, the EU Commission and Cyprus, which is leading the negotiations, are trying to adjust the proposal to appease critics. So far, however, without success.

Conflict over Power and Money in the EU

The issue has become yet another example of a larger conflict within the EU: how much power and resources member states should transfer to Brussels.

For Sweden, it is not just about money, but also about control over the energy system and the ability to prioritize domestic needs.

The expansion of the power grid is considered important for the green transition, but it is far from certain that EU countries will agree that it should be financed on a supranational basis. Sweden, France, and other countries are now pushing to stop or significantly revise the proposal.

Sweden Democrats: No Money to Bureaucrats in Brussels

The chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Industry and Trade, Tobias Andersson (Sweden Democrats), has commented on the reports and says the committee is working to put a stop to the plans.

– We are not planning to hand over SEK 20–30 billion to bureaucrats in Brussels, says Andersson.