The European Union should introduce a temporary cap on the price of natural gas, as demanded by most member states, until a new price index is adopted, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the European Parliament on Wednesday. , reports Reuters. and AFP. The European Commission has so far proposed capping the price of Russian gas only, fearing, like Germany, that capping the price of all gas imports would threaten European supplies, forcing producers to look elsewhere.

• “The introduction of a general gas price cap is a temporary solution until we develop a new price index in the EU to ensure better functioning of the market, and the Commission has already started working on this.
• Such a gas price ceiling must be designed correctly to guarantee security of supply,” said the EC president at the EP plenary session in Strasbourg.

“Temporary solution, in an exceptional period”

Von der Leyen said the European executive was “ready to discuss a ceiling on the price of gas used to produce electricity”, which would be “a first step towards a structural reform of the European electricity market”.

• “But we must also analyze gas prices (…), which are aimed at industry, heat supply.
• We will work with member states to lower gas prices and limit their volatility in order to limit the impact of Russian price manipulation.
• Several participating countries are in favor of this, and we are better prepared,” said the head of the executive power of the community.

She emphasized that limiting the price of gas in general will be “a temporary solution, in an exceptional period.”

“Without a European solution, we risk division”

Germany, the country most dependent on Russian gas, has so far rejected the idea of ​​capping the price of gas imports, but Berlin is under pressure from its European partners after last week’s announcement of a 200 billion euro national plan. euros to better protect their economy from rising energy prices.

Germany has been accused of going it alone, with some fearing that Berlin will give its companies an advantage over competitors in countries that do not have the funds to fund such a strong “shield” against soaring energy prices.

• “It is important to maintain the conditions of fair competition in our single market in the European Union,” Von der Leyen stressed, without mentioning Germany, however.
• “Without a European solution, we risk fragmentation,” she warned.

Von der Leyen also said she would explain in a letter to EU leaders meeting in Prague on Thursday the fact that the EU must implement a common energy procurement system.

The head of the EC also drew attention to the fact that EU countries should strengthen the protection of the necessary infrastructure by conducting stress tests and satellite surveillance to identify potential threats.

• “The sabotage against the Nord Stream pipelines showed how vulnerable our energy infrastructure is.
• It is in the interests of all Europeans that this important infrastructure is better protected,” she also stated in her speech at the European Parliament.

How divided the EU is on gas caps

EU member states have different opinions on capping the price of natural gas in an effort to reduce accelerated inflation. 15 member states, including France, Belgium, Italy and Poland, are asking for a common ceiling.

However, Germany, the largest gas buyer in Europe, and the Netherlands are among the states that oppose such a measure.

For its part, Brussels warned that such a measure would be a risk for Europe’s energy security and would disrupt gas supplies between EU countries.

The European Commission has been tasked with preparing proposals ahead of an EU summit later this week and a meeting of energy ministers on October 11 and 12.

After the invasion of Ukraine, Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe, and the EU took several emergency measures to replenish its gas reserves and help the population cope with huge bills. With gas prices still at record highs, many EU countries say these measures are not enough.