EU could face blackouts this winter: The European Union could face blackouts this winter as the continent faces an ongoing energy crisis amid Russia’s war in Ukraine, but Brussels is preparing for worst-case scenarios, according to EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic. He said the EU Commission is considering two different scenarios: First, that one or a small number of member states will be affected by a minor incident such as a blackout, in which case other EU countries could support and deliver power generators to them. The second is that a large number of countries could be affected, in which case the EU’s strategic reserve would be used to meet demands. politico.eu

• Waste of money and energy: EU lawmakers no longer want to commute. zdf.de
• Gazprom threatens Moldova with gas cut-off. reuters.com
• France starts process to fully nationalise power group EDF. reuters.com
• Drone activity reported near North Sea gas field, Danish police say. reuters.com

EU agrees funding plan to reduce dependency on Russia: EU finance ministers agreed that money to reduce EU dependency on Russian fossil fuels should be raised by taking about €15 billion from the EU’s innovation fund. About €5 billion would also come from selling carbon dioxide emission licenses to industries sooner than planned from the EU carbon market’s market stability reserve. The European Parliament next has to agree on a position before member states and legislators can begin negotiating the legislation together. dw.com

• EU adopts levy on excess energy profits. apnews.com

Germany under fire for massive aid scheme to cushion high gas bills: Germany’s plan to protect households and companies from soaring energy crises with a €200 billion investment have been heavily criticised for being a go-it-alone approach by the European Commission and member states. There are growing concerns the multi-billion euro plan might trigger a negative spill-over effect beyond borders and distort competition in the single market. The German initiative has also highlighted the divide between wealthy EU countries that can accommodate new borrowing and cash-strapped governments that are desperately looking for new funds. euronews.com, euractiv.com

EU and US announce targeted sanctions against Iran: The US is expected to issue new sanctions this week against law enforcement officials and those directly involved in the crackdown on protests in Iran, CNN reports. President Joe Biden issued an intentionally vague statement Monday promising further costs on perpetrators of violence against peaceful protestors. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the EU was considering all options, including restrictive measures, to address the killing of Mahsa Amini and the way Iranian security forces have been responding to the demonstrations. France said it was pushing the EU to target senior officials with punitive measures, including freezing their assets and their right to travel. cnn.com, france24.com

Stricter EU rules for internet platforms: The Council of the EU took an important step to ensure a safer online environment by approving the Digital Services Act (DSA). The DSA protects the digital space against the spread of illegal content and ensures the protection of users’ fundamental rights. The DSA is considered a world first in the field of digital regulation: no other legislative act has this level of ambition as regards regulating platforms and online supervision while preserving the core principles of the internal market. consilium.europa.eu

EU lawmakers pass single charger law for all mobile devices: The European Parliament approved a law on Tuesday that will require companies to ensure that every smartphone, tablet and camera has the same charger. A 2019 study carried out by the Commission showed that about half the phones being sold in the European Union had a USB micro-B connector, while 29% had USB-C, and 21% had an Apple Lightning charger. dw.com

EU states want to exploit security gaps: Participants at the second annual meeting of the „EU Innovation Centre for Internal Security“ in mid-September advocated keeping security gaps in hardware and software temporarily open so that they could be exploited by the relevant authorities. This is according to a confidential internal report of the Council of Ministers published by the British civil liberties organisation Statewatch. heise.de

Stronger EU response to public health emergencies: The EU Parliament approved new measures strengthening the EU’s capacity to prevent and control the outbreak of communicable diseases and tackle cross-border health threats. europarl.europa.eu