This article examines the evolution of EU policies aimed at protecting vulnerable consumers within the electricity market. Since the liberalization of the electricity market in the 1990s, Member States are required to adopt adequate safeguards, including specific measures to prevent electricity disconnection. However, the regulatory framework among Member States is not homogeneous, raising challenges to the consistency and effectiveness of EU legislation. This challenge emerged in the context of the decarbonization process promoted by the European Commission through the Winter Package and the European Green Deal.
After examining safeguards against electricity disconnection adopted during the liberalization process, the article turns to the energy transition, with an analysis of the Directive (EU) 2024/1171. Through a comparison of Italian and Irish systems, it highlights differing regulatory approaches among EU Countries, identifying common challenges as well as potential pathways for the electricity market in transition.
European Energy and Environmental Law Review