The dispute between the European Union and Russia over gas supplies to the old continent will define the winter. This is particularly urgent because, unlike in Portugal, most of the country and most of the season, many countries in northern and central Europe need this energy to keep spaces at cooler temperatures. Outside the buildings.
Russia knows this, and so does the EU. After Friday, Gazprom, which manages the Nord Stream pipeline, announced it was halting gas flows to Europe via Germany after an oil leak was discovered in a turbine at the only compressor station still in operation – the EU had already said it would. A “mistake” – and the day after the same company posted a video of the European continent freezing in the absence of Russian gas, the European Commission came out to announce it wants a price cap on pipeline gas imports. From Russia to the EU to avoid “too high values”.
This position is contained in a working document published today by the social administrator and which will be discussed at the Extraordinary Energy Council next Friday, in which the company argues that, in order for the EU to achieve a lower exposure to Russian gas, it must consider. A possible option”, imposes a “price cap on gas imports through pipelines”.
According to the European Commission, such a solution would “avoid very high prices of natural gas,” [que] It allowed Russia to maintain revenues despite deliberate cuts in volumes at a time when there were fears of severe disruptions and total disruption of supplies to some EU countries (mainly the 13 member states).
“Russian gas cannot be easily diverted to third countries through a pipeline. A price cap on Russian gas per pipeline would allow the purchase of that gas as long as the price does not exceed a pre-established threshold. A price cap will apply at the time of importation, while prices for gas sales in the domestic market will remain unchanged”, explains the company in a working document consulted by Lusa.
According to Brussels, setting a price ceiling above the marginal cost of production would help preserve supply and lower prices.
While admitting that “this move could well be used by Russia to justify new distortions under existing agreements”, the social executive guarantees that “due to diversity, savings and savings and recent disruptions, the EU is better off now”. Prepare for this situation.
This morning, the president of the European Commission, Ursula van der Leyen, announced that the agency wants to cap the profits of low-cost electricity companies and establish a “solidarity contribution” by fossil fuel companies. The limit for the purchase of Russian gas.
The three measures, which Brussels wants “immediately”, are part of a package of plans announced by van der Leyen today aimed at “protecting vulnerable consumers and companies” as households and businesses face “astronomical electricity prices”. “Great Market Volatility”.
The package also contains two other proposals: a binding target to reduce electricity consumption and the facilitation of liquidity support for member states’ energy service companies facing problems due to this market volatility.
The proposals were presented ahead of an extraordinary meeting of energy ministers scheduled for Friday in Brussels, aimed at taking action at the EU level to tackle rising energy prices in the EU, which has been exacerbated by the Ukraine invasion. By Russia, which has already entered its seventh month.
As for pipeline gas, “reliable suppliers such as Norway have increased their gas supplies to the EU,” the Brussels working document points out.
Now Russia’s response is as expected. Vladimir Putin said the country would cut off oil and gas supplies if price caps were imposed.
“The Russian Federation will fully comply with the agreements, but it will not supply oil, gas or coal at its own expense. Anyone who wants to impose something on Russia in the energy sector is not in a position to impose anything. A price cap is a completely stupid decision,” Putin said during the Eastern Economic Forum.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied that Moscow is using energy as a “weapon”.
“They say that Russia uses energy as a weapon. And nonsense! What weapon do we use? We supply what is needed according to demands,” Putin told the Eastern Economic Forum in the Pacific port city of Vladivostok.
Sheds and roofs aside, as we approach the colder months, winter planning becomes a war of concern.
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