Spring 2026
The period from 2019 to 2024 witnessed an unprecedented decline in energy use, driven by a combination of price signals, policy measures, and structural change. This special issue examines how this reduction was achieved, placing recent developments in a longer-term perspective and distinguishing between adjustments in the transformation sector and changes in final consumption of energy demand across three main sectors: productive, transport and households. Special attention is given to developments in productive sectors—and in particular industry—where most of the adjustment ultimately took place. The analysis shows that the recent period represents the sharpest “leaning-out” phase of the EU economy on record. This adjustment was driven by a combination of efficiency gains and structural reallocation, although demand compression—particularly in energy-intensive industry—also played a role.
EUROPEAN COMMISSION Dg For Economic And Financial Affairs (Ecfin);
2026-05-26
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC147037
978-92-68-37268-5 (online),
OP KC-01-26-038-EN-N (online),
https://economy-finance.ec.europa.eu/publications/european-economic-forecast-spring-2026_en,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC147037,
10.2765/0071034 (online),
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