Lack of agreement on the issue of setting a ceiling for its price natural gas his unofficial summit ended EUROPE., with European leaders, however, according to their statements, sending positive signals towards intervention to overcome the energy crisis, with a new milestone of the Summit EUROPE. 20 and 21 October.

Although the 27 countries have agreed on other common steps to overcome the crisis, the disagreement over the ceiling does not appear to have been overcome. The question will again concern EU energy ministers. who will meet next week, and the bet is that the decision will be made at the summit, which will be held on October 20 and 21.

Mitsotakis: offers are ripe

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that “a common place is being formed for a joint active European intervention in order to reduce prices.” The Prime Minister expressed his optimism that at the next Council of Europe “we will be able to decide on such an intervention”.

He added that the proposals were ripe, albeit belatedly. “Even if it’s too late, Europe must do the right thing by coming together to use this power that the European family gives us to lower the price of natural gas while securing supplies,” he stressed.

Market-Wide Solution Gaining Strength

Support for the common energy market by EU member states is increasing, says the President of the European Council Charles Michel after the informal meeting of European leaders in Prague.

“For many months we have been working to ensure that the stocks are as complete as possible,” recalls Michel. “Before the summer, we said that it was necessary to organize energy supplies. We returned to this issue today, and this idea is receiving increased support, ”he added.

Von der Leyen: Detailed offers in the coming weeks

In the coming weeks, the Commission will have more detailed proposals to deal with rising energy prices, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. He stressed that this is of paramount importance for the EU. start joint supply of natural gas from next spring.

According to him, the European Union will try to find more funds to help member states get rid of dependence on fossil fuels. “We will consider additional funding at the European level so that all Member States have the same opportunity to invest during the transition period,” he said.

Macron is optimistic about the decision

It is “much more optimistic” that European leaders can find a solution to the energy crisis, French President Emmanuel Macron said after an informal EU summit in Prague concluded. However, he warned that the winter of 2023/24 will be even tougher than the one now ahead for Europeans in terms of natural gas supplies.

Mr. Macron said that Europe will intensify its negotiations with gas suppliers and will coordinate with the main Asian countries in the gas markets, while at the same time putting in place mechanisms to ensure solidarity among European countries in terms of energy product markets. The leaders of the participating countries decided, he said, to introduce “mechanisms” to deal with the surge in energy prices together. The European Commission “will be working and making very concrete decisions in the coming days and weeks” before the October 20-21 summit, he told reporters.

As for the plan to build the MidCat gas pipeline that will connect France and Spain across the Pyrenees, Macron said he will meet with the Spanish and Portuguese prime ministers next week to discuss it and find a “realistic solution.” The French president initially opposed the plan, which Germany supports as an alternative solution for gas supplies after Russian supplies are cut off.

Commenting on the sabotage of the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 gas pipelines, Macron said Nordic leaders have told their European counterparts that it is currently impossible to indicate who is responsible for these attacks. He stressed that French infrastructure such as pipelines, cables and satellites are “vulnerable” and their security needs to be strengthened given the current geopolitical tensions.

The French president also announced a plan to create a “special fund” so that Ukraine can “purchase directly from our (defence) industry the materials it needs most to support its war effort.” Initially, this fund will amount to 100 million euros.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, for his part, expressed hope that Europe could come to an agreement to overcome French concerns about the MidCat gas pipeline project.

Soltz: “Misunderstandings” resolved

In his own statements, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said “misunderstanding” with European leaders over Germany’s €200 billion bailout package had been resolved.

“I took the opportunity to explain the package to my colleagues and present it in a European context,” he said, adding: “It was important and certainly helped clear up misunderstandings.”

“With our decisions, we are moving in the context of what others in Europe are doing,” he added.

Draghi: EU proposals in connection with the upcoming Synod

“When it comes to energy, everything moves. The European Commission will present at the European Summit on October 20 a proposal that will contain three elements: efforts to reduce prices, the introduction of an element of solidarity in the whole mechanism and the beginning of the energy market reform process. For his part, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi stressed.

Asked about the need for an instrument that would create a common European debt to cope with the costs of the energy crisis, Mr Draghi replied: “I agree with Gentiloni and Breton’s proposal. I also made a similar offer five months ago, it’s a reasonable offer, especially after Germany’s decision. It is necessary to put all countries on the same level, both with and without a fiscal margin.”

Prague: decoupling of gas price from electricity was discussed

According to Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, whose country holds the EU presidency, European Union leaders discussed decoupling the price of natural gas from the price of electricity. this semester.

“We have openly discussed the proposal of the President of the European Commission to decouple the price of natural gas from the price of electricity,” he said, adding: “We have also discussed issuing additional carbon permits from the market stability reserve to bring their price down, as well as other possible measures. “.

The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Edvard Heger, for his part, said that the EU. should start joint purchases of gas after the upcoming winter heating season, as then the storage facilities will be empty. He also pointed out that the price ceiling for natural gas should be set in a way that does not threaten supplies.

^{According to REUTERS}