The Member States are at odds on how to cope with the energy crisis together. The EU summit again underlined their different national interests.
Brussels. More than four hours of sometimes heated debates between the 27 heads of state and government on the energy price crisis brought the expected result on Friday night: The EU has no plan how to deal with the impending energy shortage and the associated sharp rise in prices in the approaching winter . As the only immediate measure to gain at least a better understanding of the causes of this problem, the 27 EU leaders ask the European Commission and the EU stock exchange regulator Esma to examine “the functioning of the gas and electricity markets” and the emissions trading system. “Following this, the Commission will assess whether certain trading practices require further regulatory measures,” stated the joint conclusions of this European Council meeting.
Scapegoat climate policy
This is a small concession to the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic, Andrej Babiš, who takes the position that the rise in the price of these emission certificates, which entitle the holder to emit carbon dioxide, is the reason for the rise in energy prices.