Central European Energy Group Adds Czechia, Poland
Ministers meeting in Zagreb weighed cross-border grids, electrification and persistently high energy prices across the region.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Utilities
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The CESEC High-level group met in Zagreb and officially welcomed Czechia and Poland as members. Discussions addressed persistently high energy prices and how to use existing electricity infrastructure more efficiently.
Why it matters
Discussions reflected concerns over persistently high energy prices in the region, with talks exploring additional cross-border electricity connections and smart solutions to shield consumers from volatile prices. Expanded membership brings more countries into shared planning on energy infrastructure.
The EU's Electrification Action Plan places electrified energy at 23% of the system today, with a 46% target by 2040. The group now spans 11 EU member countries and 8 Energy Community contracting parties, though implementation timelines for new connections were not detailed.
The players
Dan Jørgensen
Dan Jørgensen is a Danish politician who serves as a European Commissioner with responsibility for energy matters.
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt
Klaus-Dieter Borchardt is a German economist and former European Commission official who has served as CESEC Coordinator.
The details
The CESEC High-level group, set up in 2015 and expanded in 2017 to cover electricity and renewable energy, gathered in Zagreb to discuss gas market functioning and the more efficient use of existing electricity infrastructure. Czechia and Poland were officially welcomed as members, while the Commission renewed the mandate of Prof Dr Klaus-Dieter Borchardt as CESEC Coordinator.
Timeline
2015: CESEC High-level group was set up.
2017: The group's scope was expanded to include electricity and renewable energy.
July 2026: The Commission published its Electrification Action Plan.
November 13, 2026: The CESEC ministerial met in Zagreb and welcomed Czechia and Poland.
2040: Target date for raising the electrified share of the energy system to 46%.
Roadmap
The CESEC group was founded in 2015 for gas-focused regional cooperation and widened in 2017 to electricity and renewables, a path the Zagreb meeting continues. The new Czech and Polish memberships extend that framework into a larger share of Central and South-East Europe.
Households and businesses in member countries may see changes over time as cross-border electricity links and consumer price-shielding measures are developed. The extraction does not specify near-term effects on bills or supply.
The takeaway
Energy price pressures across the region are pushing governments toward shared grid planning and electrification, and readers tracking utility costs should watch how these cross-border projects progress.
Further reading
For broader context on how grid planning and electricity supply are organized across regions, explore more in Utilities.
Source note: This article includes information reported by EU Reporter.
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