EU Commission to propose mandatory telework day as energy-saving measure

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. The proposal responds to soaring energy costs driven by the Middle East conflict, which has added an estimated EUR 22 billion in extra fossil fuel import costs across the bloc.

Why this matters

This is the first time the Commission has explicitly recommended telework as an energy policy tool — not a labour policy, not a wellbeing initiative, but a direct response to energy security. The package also includes cheaper public transport, building closures, and Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen’s proposal for a 110 km/h motorway speed limit.

For remote workers already operating from home, this validates what the data has shown for years: remote work reduces energy consumption at the national level. For employers resisting hybrid arrangements, the political wind is now blowing the other way — return-to-office mandates look increasingly out of step with EU-level policy direction.

The proposal is non-binding — member states can choose how to implement it. But it adds significant political weight to the case for flexible work, particularly in countries like Spain where the 37.5-hour working week bill is already reshaping the conversation about how and where people work. Combined with the ETUC’s push for enforceable telework legislation, this signals a broader shift: remote work is becoming infrastructure policy, not just HR policy.