EU leaders on Thursday night stepped up pressure on energy ministers to reach a delayed deal amid a dispute over the introduction of a gas purchase price cap as early as Monday, DPA reported, citing Agerpres.

Gas storage and transportation unitPhoto: DreamsTime / Viktord50

In a joint text published on Thursday, 27 EU leaders call on their ministers to complete work on the gas price cap and other energy measures adopted.

Ministers have been wrangling for months over how to respond to a dramatic rise in energy prices across the EU bloc, including a proposal by the European Commission to cap the price of gas traded in the Dutch Title Transfer Facility (TTF) hub, in a bid to reduce price volatility.

Other blocked proposals include the introduction of joint gas procurement, strengthening solidarity between member states in the event of energy crises and speeding up authorization procedures for some renewable energy projects.