The Minister of Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, announced in Brussels that the European Commission "accepted well" the return of the Portuguese State to the capital of Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), considering that public participation allows greater "energy security and sovereignty". The minister met with Céline Gauer, head of the Energy Directorate-General of the European Commission, to explain that the State's entry into the high-voltage electricity transmission company is of "crucial importance" for the country's sovereignty and security.
According to the minister, Portugal was the only country whose electricity transmission companies were "completely private" among the 40 companies from 34 European countries that are part of the European network of transmission system operators, with 18 of these companies being fully public, as in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
The Portuguese State returned to REN's shareholder structure through Parpública, which acquired a 13.7% stake from Pontegadea, marking the return to the company's capital after the complete exit in 2014 as part of the privatization process during the financial crisis. The operation was coordinated by the prime minister since 2024 and was conducted with "the utmost care and in a discreet manner" to not disrupt REN's functioning.
The operation is still subject to necessary procedures, including prior scrutiny by the Court of Auditors and pronouncement from ERSE. The minister declined to comment on a possible future increase in public participation or State representation on the company's governing bodies, deferring these questions to a later stage and to the Ministry of Finance.
