(ANSA) - ROME, FEBRUARY 23 - With the evolution of the crisis in Ukraine "the situation is constantly monitored in coordination with the European institutions, the emergency gas committee has already met several times at national level".
This was stated by the Minister of Ecological Transition, RobertoCingolani, in the information to the Chamber on the increase in energy costs and on the measures adopted to counteract its effects.
"As you know", he continues, "the possible measures of the emergency plan include greater flexibility in gas consumption, such as interruptibility to the industrial sector and rules on gas consumption in the thermoelectric sector".
Even at the European level, the minister reports that "rapid consultations have taken place with the European Commission which will have to announce, they say,
"In coordination with the EU structures - adds the minister - we analyze the situation and possible scenarios to manage negative developments on the volumes and prices of natural gas imports from Russia, which today exports around 45% to Italy".
Moreover, the situation of energy prices has been "aggravated by the rapid geopolitical evolution and this has accelerated the need for further structural interventions", continues Cingolani, convinced that the price of gas will remain "quite high".
"It is difficult to make a prediction right now, but it is unlikely that it will be able to return to the values of a year ago", he adds.
"A few months ago I told this room that analysts thought that after March, with the Nord Streamchiarificate events, we would have had a stabilization of costs", adds Cingolani, "it was almost another era", he observes.
(HANDLE).