EU energy ministers meet for a solution to the energy crisis

EU energy ministers met today to work towards a deal that would protect citizens from skyrocketing energy prices and prevent the bankruptcy of energy companies after Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine.

European Union (EU) energy ministers met today to work towards a deal that would protect citizens from skyrocketing energy prices and prevent the bankruptcy of energy companies after Russia cut off gas supplies to Europe following its invasion of Ukraine. EU diplomats said member states were broadly supportive of proposals to protect energy companies from liquidity problems, but disagreements remained on whether to impose a price ceiling on Russian gas imports. Russia, which supplied a third of Europe's energy needs before the crisis sparked by its invasion of Ukraine, has said it would halt all deliveries if a price cap on imports was introduced. Today's meeting of EU ministers will not take a final decision, but will consider options to provide broad-based assistance to formulate a formal proposal. Natural gas prices, which had soared as demand for natural gas recovered in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic, were further pushed up by sanctions imposed by Western countries following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, prompting panic among governments to limit the impact of the price shock. The European Commission's proposal to provide emergency liquidity to energy companies was supported by many EU states, according to diplomats. Some states also supported proposals to reduce energy demand. However, there were differences of opinion on the price cap. Some states argued that a price ceiling would not help as Russian energy deliveries to Europe are already low. Some European countries that still use Russian gas have expressed concerns about losing supply altogether. The Baltic states supported the price cap on the grounds that it would reduce Moscow's revenues for its war in Ukraine. Follow Global Economic Developments on Social Media! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Facebook account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Instagram account! Click here to follow Ieconomy official Twitter account!