Blackout Sparks EU Action: Spain Faces Infringement Over Energy Plan Delay

At first glance, the situation appears almost farcical: a sovereign nation neglects to prepare a document crucial for its own security, and Brussels must remind it of this obligation under threat of sanctions. However, Spain itself recently experienced a stark practical demonstration of why such plans are essential.

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by NoonIcarus, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Blackout in Europe on April 28, 2025

A Recent Near-Catastrophe

On April 28, 2025, virtually all of continental Spain and Portugal were plunged into darkness. Trains and subways ground to a halt, traffic lights went out, and communication and electronic payment systems faced severe disruptions. The restoration of the power grid relied on electricity imports from France and Morocco, as well as the utilization of power generation facilities capable of restarting after a total blackout.

An investigation by ENTSO-E (The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity) revealed that the blackout was not caused by a single failure but by a complex chain of events: network fluctuations, voltage issues, loss of generation capacity, and cascading power outages. European regulations specifically mandate that, for such scenarios, the actions of operators and authorities, the protection of critical infrastructure, protocols for consumption limitations, and coordination with neighboring countries must be predetermined.

A blackout is merely one type of national crisis. Energy plans are designed to address extreme weather events, fuel shortages, technical malfunctions, cyberattacks, and physical damage to infrastructure. Separate civil protection mechanisms are in place for other types of emergencies.

Spain has experience with other crises. The 2021 eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on La Palma necessitated the evacuation of thousands of residents and the establishment of an interagency disaster management system. A nationwide transport strike represents another type of risk, where the state can mandate a minimum level of essential services to prevent a complete paralysis of the transportation network.

The Logic of Scenario-Based Preparedness

It is impossible to foresee every possible emergency. Consequently, modern security systems are not built around a single "in case of disaster" manual. Instead, they are constructed around distinct scenarios: defining leadership roles, identifying which services are activated, prioritizing the protection of critical assets, and locating reserve resources.

Yet, the situation involving Spain, France, and Belgium raises a more uncomfortable question: Why does the European Union need to compel sovereign states to draft documents that are primarily in their own self-interest?

At least two explanations are possible. The first is the classic "cross that bridge when we come to it" mentality: preparing for low-probability catastrophes loses out in budgetary and political competition to immediate, pressing issues. The second, contrasting explanation is that the sheer volume of documents, approvals, and national and European regulations has become so overwhelming that a truly vital plan can easily become just another piece of paper within an enormous administrative system.

Interconnectedness and Shared Responsibility

However, a third reason exists. In the interconnected European energy system, one country's security is no longer solely its own internal affair. If a major failure can affect neighboring nations, then Spain or France preparing an anti-crisis plan is not just for their own benefit but also for the stability of the wider region.

This reveals the paradox of the EU. It is not a "nursery school" where Brussels must force member states to look after themselves. By voluntarily joining the Union, countries agreed to common, binding rules, and the European Commission was granted the authority to oversee their implementation, including the power to take legal action.

Therefore, this dispute can be interpreted in two ways. Either European bureaucracy is indeed over-coddling the member states, or recent events have demonstrated that even mature nations sometimes require a firm external deadline to undertake necessary preparations—necessity that often becomes glaringly obvious only in the wake of a disaster.

Source: This commentary was adapted from an original Russian-language publication by Pravda.Ru.