Energy is vital for the proper functioning of the various sectors of the economy and social life. During the pandemic, there have been some changes in these aspects that need to be investigated. The main objective of this article is to identify the direction of change caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in energy consumption and energy intensity in sectors and economic areas in EU countries. The specific objectives are to identify the importance of energy consumption in sectors and areas of the economy in individual EU countries; to determine the dynamics of change and variability during the pandemic in energy consumption in individual sectors and areas of the economy in EU countries, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic; to determine the changes in energy intensity of individual economic sectors and the differences in energy intensity between individual EU countries, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a purposive selection method, all 27 EU Member States were selected for the study on 31 December 2020. The analysed period covered the years 2005–2020. The sources of material were literature and data from Eurostat. Descriptive, tabular and graphical methods, dynamic indicators with a fixed base and variable base, Gini coefficient, coefficient of variation, Pearson’s linear correlation coefficient, and multi-criteria analysis were used for analysis and presentation. It was found that the structure of energy consumption had remained unchanged for several years, with transport, industry and households dominating. There were no significant differences between countries. The COVID-19 pandemic reduced energy consumption in all sectors of the economy, the largest in transport and services and the smaller in industry. At the same time, household energy consumption increased. As a result of the pandemic, there was an increase in energy intensity in all sectors of the economy, the largest in industry. Western European countries had a lower energy intensity of the economy than Central and Eastern European countries. There was little change over several years. Countries generally maintained their ranking. The pandemic did not change anything in this respect, meaning that it had a similar impact on individual EU countries.

This paper examines the possibility of locating electric vehicle charging stations using multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) and GIS. The study presents an integrated approach, which can be helpful in spatial planning. Recent years have witnessed a growing interest in using alternative power sources for motor vehicles. It is stimulated by top-down factors, such as regulations introduced by the European Commission or the introduction of the so-called “clean transport zones” by some local governments, as well as the bottom-up ones, including the increase in the cost of maintaining fossil fuel-powered cars. Local governments can employ the analysis presented in the paper to find a coherent development strategy for using electric vehicles (EVs) in cities. Based on the verified hypothesis, the Łódź city area has diverse suitability for EV charging stations, with predominant unfavourable regions for such investments. The research aims to find the methodology for performing the suitability analysis to locate new infrastructure elements in an urban space.

Sustainable development (SD) is a key priority in EU policy, particularly in sectors with significant economic and environmental impacts, such as transport and storage. The influence of macroeconomic indicators, GDP per capita, unemployment rate, average wages, external balance of goods and services, and the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), on sustainability outcomes was analysed across 25 EU Member States, grouped into Western, Northern, Southern, and Central and Eastern Europe. The data from 2008–2023, analysed using fixed-effects panel models, ANOVA, and Scheffé tests, indicate regional differences in how macroeconomic indicators relate to sustainability performance. Unemployment and GDP per capita emerged as the most influential factors, though their effect varied by region, while HICP showed limited relevance. GDP per capita was particularly significant in Southern Europe. In contrast, environmental sustainability in Northern and Central and Eastern Europe appears driven mainly by nonmacroeconomic factors. Northern Europe achieved the highest sustainability scores, especially in the environmental dimension, whereas Southern Europe recorded the weakest performance overall. These findings highlight the need for region-specific strategies to support SD in the EU transport and storage sector.