European Commission Considers Mandatory Remote Work to Counter Rising Energy Prices

The European Commission will formally propose on April 22 that member states encourage companies to establish one mandatory remote working day per week as part of the “AccelerateEU” energy-saving package, responding to soaring energy costs driven by the Middle East conflict.

The proposal addresses an estimated EUR 22 billion in extra fossil fuel import costs across the bloc resulting from the conflict, marking the first time the Commission has explicitly recommended telework as an energy policy tool rather than a labour or wellbeing initiative.

The package also includes cheaper public transport, building closures when possible, and Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen’s proposal for a 110 km/h motorway speed limit, with the Commission presenting the plan next Wednesday as reported by El País and confirmed by ARA.

For remote workers already operating from home, the move validates data showing reduced national energy consumption from remote work, while for employers resisting hybrid arrangements, return-to-office mandates now appear increasingly out of step with EU-level policy direction.

The proposal is non-binding, allowing member states to choose implementation methods, but adds significant political weight to the case for flexible work, particularly in countries like Spain where a 37.5-hour working week bill is already reshaping discussions about where and how people work.

Combined with the ETUC’s push for enforceable telework legislation, the development signals a broader shift: remote work is becoming infrastructure policy, not just HR policy, as part of efforts to alleviate the energy crisis caused by the war in Iran and related Middle East conflicts.

The Commission also plans to give member states more flexibility to approve energy measures and reduce electricity bills, with state and regional administrations able to assume up to 50% of additional fuel costs under the draft proposal, which remains subject to change.

In the long term, despite political headwinds from anti-environmentalist movements that have led Brussels to lower its climate ambitions, the package aims to advance the energy transition while helping households and industry bear current energy costs through measures such as subsidising electricity bills for vulnerable households and reducing special taxes on electricity for certain groups.