Each year, the European Union spends more than 400 billion euros on the importation of fossil fuels.

Omissions

• The MEP did not specify the time period for the claimed figure. While recent years (2024-2025) show import values below 400 billion euros, the figure may have been accurate for 2022-2023 when energy prices were significantly higher due to geopolitical events. The claim refers to 'fossil fuels' but the official Eurostat data covers 'energy products' which may include non-fossil energy sources like electricity and biofuels, though fossil fuels (oil, gas, coal) constitute the vast majority.
• The data for 2024 was published in March 2025, and data for 2025 was published in March 2026, both after the session date of April 2026. However, the MEP could have had access to preliminary or partial 2024 data at the time of the speech.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - EU imports of energy products 2024In 2024, the EU imported €375.9 billion worth of energy products, amounting to a total of 720.4 million tonnes. Compared with 2023, imports decreased both in value and quantity.
• PrimaryEurostat - EU imports of energy products 2025In 2025, the EU imported €336.7 billion worth of energy products, amounting to 723.3 million tonnes. Compared with 2024, imports decreased by 11.1% in value while the quantity decreased by 0.6%.