Sweden halts new power cable to Denmark amid EU dispute

Sweden’s government has paused plans to build a new electricity cable to Denmark, citing an ongoing conflict with the EU over Swedish grid fees, public broadcaster SVT Nyheter reports.

Energy Minister Ebba Busch (Christian Democrats) announced the decision on Friday, stating that Sweden would not proceed with investments in new power connections to continental Europe. The move follows what she described as “unacceptable” proposals in the EU’s electricity market reform package, which remains under negotiation.

“It cannot be a one-sided advantage for the EU,” Busch said, emphasising that Sweden must “safeguard Swedish interests.” She added that the country should not be expected to “solve everyone else’s problems.”

The dispute centres on the EU’s push to reform so-called “bottleneck fees” charged by Sweden on cross-border electricity flows—a measure the government argues is necessary to manage domestic grid capacity. The conflict has escalated in recent days, prompting Sweden’s decision to halt the cable project.

Busch framed the pause as Sweden “moving from words to action,” signalling a firm stance in the negotiations. Further details on the stalled proposals were not disclosed.