It wasn’t the first and it won’t be the last. The meeting of energy ministers of the European Union ended without new measures or proposals, and with a single demand from the European Commission: that it hasten to present concrete proposals to alleviate the energy crisis in Europe. The term of the measures: the next days. The goal: to be approved in September.
Czech Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela was the spokesman for the European Council of Energy Ministers, since the EU is under the Czech presidency. Síkela was “happy” that the ministers have reached an agreement “on the need to adopt robust and urgent solutions at the EU level.” These solutions will be “coordinated” and adopted “as soon as possible”. This is where the European Commission comes in.
“The meeting was not easy and it was definitely not the last,” the Czech minister admitted. “But we have found a way forward regarding the measures that will be taken. Current electricity and gas price levels put pressure on inflation and the economy, creating social tensions. The member states expect concrete legislative proposals from the European Commission in 4 areas, and in a few days. We want to conclude the discussion before the end of September”, he sentenced.
In this sense, the ministers want to see concrete proposals on limits to the profits of energy companies “with low production costs”, such as renewables, and on the introduction of “solidarity contributions to fossil fuel companies”. And about how those revenues will be used “to limit high prices for consumers.”
Second, Sìkela continued, “we hope that the Commission will propose a temporary intervention that includes a ceiling on the price of imported gas.” Third, “we want measures to reduce electricity consumption in the EU.” And fourth, “measures that help solve the problem of lack of liquidity” of companies.
“The City Council will be able to work quickly on the measures proposed by the Commission, as we did in July with the gas measures,” he guaranteed. “We are prepared to have another meeting to resolve this issue at the end of this month.”
(In update)
Source: Observadora
