EU still split on gas cap as Germany and the Netherlands oppose

There may be nonetheless not sufficient consensus among the many 27 EU international locations to ascertain a cap on fuel costs, as Germany and the Netherlands joined forces to oppose the unprecedented transfer.

The European Fee is anticipated to current subsequent Tuesday a brand new bundle of emergency measures to curb vitality costs and convey reduction to tens of millions of households and corporations throughout the EU.

European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen stated final week the bundle may embrace not one, however two types of a fuel cap: one centered on the each day transactions going down within the EU’s fuel market and one other one concentrating on the fuel used for electrical energy era.

In a letter to EU leaders, von der Leyen warned about the potential dangers the caps entail and requested for added vitality financial savings and solidarity agreements to deal with potential shortages.

However after a casual assembly of EU vitality ministers in Prague, the help for the caps seemed to be insufficiently sturdy.

Germany, the EU’s largest fuel client, and the Netherlands circulated a doc forward of the assembly with a set of vitality suggestions that conspicuously prevented broad caps on fuel costs.

“Measures within the electrical energy sector which could enhance the fuel demand […] must be thought of very rigorously and in addition embrace burden sharing,” the 2 international locations wrote within the doc seen by Euronews.

Kadri Simson, the EU’s vitality commissioner, stated the subsequent bundle of measures ought to benefit from the “most consensual help” and famous that the fuel cap is perhaps excluded if there may be not sufficient backing.

“We are going to see over the weekend how we are able to proceed with capping the fuel for energy era,” Simson instructed reporters after the casual assembly. “If, at that stage, we are able to say that there’s a broad majority of member states supporting the measure.”

Requested concerning the German-Dutch proposal, Jozef Síkela, the Czech Republic’s vitality minister, stated that “any type of optimistic proposal is at all times welcomed.”

“Right this moment’s assembly has helped bridge the hole between member states,” Síkela stated. “We’re shifting in the direction of a typical answer.”

The Czech Republic presently holds the EU Council’s rotating presidency and is tasked with moderating coverage debates.

Síkela stated there was a normal settlement among the many 27 international locations in favour of joint purchases of fuel provides to forestall international locations from outbidding one another. The collective scheme might be arrange forward of the 2023-2024 winter season.

Each the minister and the commissioner emphasised the necessity for growing vitality financial savings, reinforcing solidarity offers between international locations, and stepping up bilateral negotiations with dependable fuel suppliers, equivalent to Norway.

All these concepts, that are a lot much less interventionist than a fuel cap, have wider backing amongst capitals and had been featured within the German-Dutch paper.

In idea, approving an EU-wide cap on fuel costs would require solely a professional majority of member states, however the untested and radical nature of the measure may compel the bloc to ensure a unanimous entrance.

At the very least 15 member states have declared their help for a broad cap on fuel costs.

“This isn’t a couple of majority,” stated Síkela, who spoke of “intensive” discussions amongst ministers. “It’s concerning the understanding that we need to have a measure that may assist and never hurt.”