The European Tribune is an online forum for civic debate, with a strong focus on European issues. We consider energy policy a vital and urgent matter about which all citizens should be well-informed and in which they should be involved. Top-down policy-making runs the risk of failing to obtain genuine consent and adhesion from citizens at a time of change. In this context, we are saddened that the Public Consultation on the Energy Green Paper falls short of living up to its great expectations, and strongly hope that this will not further feed the Eurosceptic image of Brussels policy-making taking place in a world far removed from that of ordinary citizens.