Electricity prices paid by European consumers and businesses are two to three times higher than those of competitors.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify which 'competitors' are being compared; the price ratio varies significantly between the US (2-2.65x for industrial users) and China (~1.5x per IEA 2025 data).
• The claim lumps household consumers and businesses together, but the available evidence primarily supports the industrial/business comparison; comparable household electricity price ratios versus the US and China were not found in search results.
• The IEA 2026 report was published in 2026 and describes 2025 data. The MEP could not have cited this exact report on the session date (2026-06-17), but the underlying data period (2025) predates the session.
• The claim omits that electricity prices vary widely within the EU itself; some member states have prices far above or below the EU average.

Sources

• PrimaryIEA Electricity 2026 – PricesEU electricity prices for energy-intensive industries stayed elevated in 2025, again averaging over twice US levels and nearly 50% above those in China, similar to 2024.
• SecondaryBusinessEurope – High cost of energyIn 2024, industrial electricity prices in the EU reached €0.199 per kWh, compared to €0.082 in China and €0.075 in the U.S.
• SecondaryBruegel – Decarbonising competitiveness: four ways to reduce European energy pricesAverage EU industrial electricity prices were roughly two and a half times higher than in the US. In 2023, industrial electricity and gas prices were also significantly higher than in China.