Denmark’s Dan Jørgensen proposed as Europe’s new energy commissioner
Image: EC
Dan Jørgensen, Denmark’s Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy, has been put forward as the next EU commissioner for energy and housing.
Jørgensen, a political science graduate and European and Danish parliamentarian for the past 20 years, is set with several challenges, if his nomination likely goes through.
These include reducing energy prices while moving forward Europe’s energy transition and at the same time becoming more self-sufficient.
He also is set to be the first commissioner to have the new housing portfolio, which is planned to focus on all aspects from energy efficiency to investment and construction.
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Experience that Jørgensen brings beyond his current role includes his previous position as minister for climate, energy and utilities between 2019-2022, in which he was reportedly “an effective operator”, although with a style that not everyone found appealing.
Other earlier roles have included minister for food, agriculture and fisheries.
In announcing this and the other nominations for commissioners for the ‘college’, EC president Ursula von der Leyen said that all must work together.
“We will all be independent in thought and action. And we will all take ownership of what is agreed.”
Underlying the role of energy commissioner is meeting the goals of the European Green Deal and other energy legislation, of which a considerable number of actions, over 40, remain to be completed by the Commission.
Specific duties set out include updating and simplifying the governance of the energy union, proposing an initiative to boost the rollout of renewable energy and energy storage, proposing an industrial electrification action plan supported with a clean energy investment strategy and looking at the framework for grids.
Other areas of focus highlighted are the adoption of a roadmap for digitalisation and AI in the energy sector, the development and deployment of small modular reactors and the uptake of carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
A citizens’ energy package also is proposed to increase citizen participation in the energy transition.
Jørgensen’s and the other nominations are now subject to approval by the European parliament.
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