Brussels studies options for a gas price ceiling in the EU and electricity saving plans

BRUSELAS, 1 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The European Commission is studying applying a ceiling to the price of gas within the European Union, reforming the electricity market and possible electricity saving plans, apart from those already put in place to reduce gas demand, in response to the rise prices on the electricity bill.

This was confirmed this Thursday by the Deputy Director General of the Directorate General for Energy of the European Commission, Mechthild Wörsdörfer, in a speech at the European Parliament in which she reviewed the measures implemented in the EU and possible new actions, after that the community president, Ursula von der Leyen, *open the door to emergency intervention in the electricity market and address its reform to deal with Russian energy "blackmail".

Wörsdörfer has informed MEPs that Brussels is internally studying options to apply a gas price ceiling, taking into account those that are already being implemented in the EU, such as the Iberian exception applied by Spain and Portugal.

"We study studying the gas price caps, see what option is possible and we have technical seminars (...) we will see the different possibilities, at full speed, and we want to see the comments of the Member States", he pointed out, pointing to the emergency meeting of European energy ministers on September 9, in which measures to intervene in the market will be on the table.

With regard to the high price of electricity, the senior community official has confirmed that Brussels is working to apply "emergency measures" in the short term and has raised the idea of ​​adopting European plans to reduce the demand for electricity.

In the long term, the European Commission is studying a reform of the design of the energy market, with the idea that the high price of gas does not influence the cost of other energies. "We look at options to optimize and reform the market. But this takes time, Von der Leyen could not promise it for tomorrow," defended Wörsdörfer, who stressed that the Community Executive faces this structural reform "with an open mind", without ruling out options, in the face of the "difficult situation" that Europe is going through.

"We are aware that it must be reformed, it cannot be done overnight, but we are studying what to do to avoid the situation we are in now," he deepened.

In any case, the representative of the European Commission has valued the agreements already signed at the level of the Twenty-seven for gas demand reduction plans, emphasizing that it was approved in record time and that it will allow savings to be faced in a coordinated manner, efficiently and minimize the impact on citizens and businesses.

The voluntary plans adopted by the Twenty-seven seek to reduce demand by 15%, with the exception of Spain and Portugal, where the ambition is reduced to 7% due to their status as an energy island. According to Wörsdörfer, the first reports on the measure will arrive in October and the Member States will be able to apply an alert so that the plans become mandatory if the situation worsens.