Politico: “No” from the Commission to the proposal of the “15” for a cap on natural gas – Berlin’s role

Defying the appeals of the 15 EU countries (among them Greece and France), and even voices among the European Commissioners, the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen decided not to propose a price cap on natural gas imports, according to Politico.

“The Commission’s Director-General for Energy, Ditte Juul-Jørgensen, told angry European diplomats that instead of a cap, the Commission would present a ‘non-paper’ with proposals for common markets.”

“After Juul-Jørgensen’s announcement, a diplomat took the floor to applause, and stated that the Commission’s promised proposal was actually a non-non-paper”. “It’s a non-paper for the Commission, but it’s a non-non-paper for member states because it doesn’t exist yet, and it’s a non-non-paper because it doesn’t actually introduce new solutions,” notes Politico, presenting the background of reactions.

Berlin however, he argues that if the cap is imposed, natural gas should be redistributed politically among EU countries, rather than allocated by market forces.

Lower gas prices could also lead to increased consumption — a toxic combination that could lead to shortages, officials warn.

Commission experts, the president of the European Council Charles Michel, and many economists argue that the same effect that the cap would have could also be achieved through common markets, as EU countries would no longer outbid each other and drive up prices.

There must be a horizontal ceiling on natural gas prices and there is a specific mechanism to do this, so that the prices in Europe are equivalent to the prices in America, Asia and Australia, the Minister of Energy emphasized to SKAI Kostas Skrekasahead of tomorrow’s meeting of European energy ministers.

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