The possibility that Russia close the gas tap it remains a very real threat. There are now 12 countries in the European Union, including Poland, Bulgaria or Germany, which have suffered a blow to their supply and no one rules out further cuts. Therefore, the European Comission already works with the industry and the 27 member states in a european emergency plan demand reduction that, as announced by its president Ursula von der Leyenwill present in the month of July. “We have to be prepared to face new interruptions in gas deliveries from Russia & rdquor ;, he said at the end of a European Council that has dedicated its second day to evaluating the economic situation, the high prices of energy and the worrying increase in the inflation.
In the conclusions of the summit, the 27 European leaders accuse Moscow of “use gas as a weapon & rdquor; and invite Brussels to continue its efforts, as a matter of urgency, to guarantee the supply of energy at affordable prices. They also invite the Council to adopt appropriate measures to ensure closer coordination on energy matters between member states. “If we don’t prepare together this summer there is a great risk that we will all have serious problems in winter & rdquor ;, recognized the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croowho has accused Vladimir Putin to maintain an economic war against Europe using energy as a weapon of war.
the german case
“We have to organize together. If we do it in a scattered way we will not get out and we will all suffer the negative effects. If Germany is already saying that there will be a gas shortage in winter, the impact will be enormous for Germany but for all European countries as well & rdquor ;, she has insisted. For this reason, as von der Leyen explained, “we hope for the best but prepare for the worst.” And that means, first of all, a review of all national emergency plans to ensure that the Twenty-seven are “well equipped & rdquor; before future cuts, including containment and saving measures that do not put the internal market at risk. “It is important to have an overview of the situation in the EU and a detailed preparation on the measures we can take & rdquor ;, she defended.
Related news
At the insistence of the Italian Prime Minister, mario draghi, the European leaders have also agreed on the inclusion of a request to the Commission to study measures to “stop the increase in energy prices & rdquor ;, such as, for example, the feasibility of introducing “temporary caps on import prices, when appropriate & rdquor ;. The idea, however, does not yet generate much consensus and leaders such as the German Olaf Scholz they have made it clear that they do not see it feasible to impose caps “individually & rdquor; because “there are global issues and if we don’t do it all together it won’t work”, he said, referring this debate to the G7.
In any case, von der Leyen has indicated that the Community Executive is already working on different models, not only to limit the price of energy and electricity, but to examine the entire design of the European energy market. “We have very high prices when renewables are very cheap. It was designed when the market was dominated by fossil fuels at low prices. But the situation has changed & rdquor; so “we have agreed that we will deal with this at the next regular session of the Council, in October & rdquor ;, he confirmed. The German has announced new proposals in this field for the end of summer.