European policymakers have noted with growing frustration that a decade of patient reform has failed to bring about the open, competitive and smoothly functioning energy markets they have wanted for so long. Now, the European Commission is openly considering the case for more radical surgery.

In a speech that will have chilled the spines of many energy executives around the European Union, Neelie Kroes on Monday called for integrated power groups such as Eon, RWE, EdF and GdF to be broken up.