The European Commission will encourage remote work to mitigate the effects of the energy crisis caused by the conflict in the Middle East, writes the Financial Times (FT) citing a document from the EC and several unnamed officials.
Brussels has a plan
Next week, the European Commission will present a plan to member states aimed at increasing energy efficiency and transitioning to green energy. According to the FT, it is designed to ensure an "immediate reduction" in high energy prices.
The recommendations are based on measures taken during the previous crisis in 2022. They are part of efforts to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and are intended to encourage the use of renewable energy sources.
Recommendations, not instructions
Businesses should be encouraged to provide employees with at least one mandatory remote workday per week, according to the commission's appendices to the draft message reviewed by the FT. The commission also recommended lowering VAT on heat panels and solar batteries.
The document is not yet finalized. Other measures, including addressing the shortage of aviation fuel, are still in development.
Sources from the publication emphasized that the measures are recommendations, not instructions. "If we face an energy shortage, it is our duty to ensure that citizens know what they can do to reduce consumption. <…> We are not micromanaging people's lives," explained one of the plan's developers.
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