Europe's energy costs are among the highest in the developed world.

Omissions

• The claim is a generalisation that holds mainly for electricity (EU industrial prices ~2x the US, ~1.5x China) and for gas relative to the US (~3–5x); for natural gas, some Asian markets (e.g. Japan, Korea) can be comparable or higher, so the EU is not the highest for every energy form.
• Household prices vary widely within the EU (e.g. H1 2025: €38.4/100 kWh in Germany vs €6.2 in Turkey); several EU countries (Ireland, Germany, Belgium) rank among the world's most expensive for households, but not the single most expensive globally (e.g. Bermuda topped the September 2025 ranking).
• The IEA report (Electricity 2026, published in early 2026, covering 2025 data) was available before the session date of 2026-07-06, so the MEP could have known this data.
• US electricity prices rose ~40% in H1 2025, narrowing (but not closing) the EU–US gap.

Sources

• PrimaryInternational Energy Agency – 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 previous years.
• AcademicBruegel – Decarbonising competitiveness: four ways to reduce European energy pricesIn 2024, EU gas wholesale prices were on average nearly five times those in the US. Average EU industrial electricity prices were roughly two times those in the US.
• SecondaryEuronews – Electricity and gas prices across Europe: which countries are the most expensiveIn the first half of 2025, electricity prices for households ranged from €6.2 per 100 kWh in Turkey to €38.4 in Germany, Eurostat figures show.
• SecondaryEurelectric – US vs EU: the ultimate power prices showdownEurope's lack of natural gas resources and reliance on imports makes gas three to five times more expensive than in the US. There is no denying that Europe has higher energy prices than the US.