EU Parliament to Tackle Cost-of-Living Crisis Amid Rising Energy Prices

During its Strasbourg plenary on 7 October, the European Parliament will discuss a resolution aimed at strengthening Europeans’ ability to cope with the cost-of-living crisis. The debate follows Eurostat’s flash data showing euro-area inflation climbing to 3.8% in September, up from 3.2% in August, with energy inflation surging to 18.8%. These price pressures affect households directly through higher electricity, heating and fuel bills and indirectly via business costs.

Inflation rates vary widely among member states, ranging from 0.3% in Sweden to 6.3% in Romania, complicating a unified EU response. Political groups are split: liberal representatives call for coordinated action on energy independence and housing, while others argue that current EU tax and energy policies exacerbate costs. The discussion will reveal which affordability initiatives can secure broad parliamentary backing and where partisan divides remain. The next full inflation report is due on 16 October, offering more detailed country-level data.