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EU, gas price cap but oil embargo is deadlocked 

2022-05-30T07:01:34.977Z


Berlin, 'European unity is crumbling': first yes to price cap (ANSA) A new black smoke on the oil embargo paves the way for the extraordinary European summit and risks turning the summit into a sensational confrontation. The Sherpas of the member countries have not been able to find an understanding on the scheme of understanding prepared by the Commission, which provided for the exemption for crude oil coming from the Friendship pipeline, which connects Russia to


A new black smoke on the oil embargo paves the way for the extraordinary European summit and risks turning the summit into a sensational confrontation.

The Sherpas of the member countries have not been able to find an understanding on the scheme of understanding prepared by the Commission, which provided for the exemption for crude oil coming from the Friendship pipeline, which connects Russia to Hungary, Germany and Poland.

But the latest concession put on the table by the EU in Budapest was not enough.

Before the summit, in the morning, the ambassadors of the 27 will meet again to reach, in the Cesarini area, at least a compromise of principle that will allow the discussion between the leaders not to be wrecked.

The sanctions chapter, among other things, will be among the first to be addressed.

"After Russia's attack on Ukraine,

anti-Russians (the Baltic countries above all) have for some time now made more than one criticism of a soft embargo which, politically, risks bending Brussels to Orban's demands.

European sources explain how EU leaders will be "briefly" informed of the proposal on Monday, on which an agreement is expected next week at a new Coreper meeting.

And in that briefly all the fears of Ursula von der Leyen are hidden: that the debate between the leaders will focus on the sanctions dossier, undermining that European unity shown so far.

The conclusions of the summit, at the moment, do not contain references to the agreement on the sixth package of sanctions.

Compared to previous versions, however, there is some news, and it goes towards Prime Minister Mario Draghi.

In the text, in fact,

opens up the possibility of introducing a temporary price cap on energy.

"The European Council invites the Commission to explore with international partners ways to curb the rise in energy prices, including the feasibility of introducing temporary price caps," the draft reads.

Not only.

The European summit will invite "the Commission to rapidly continue its work on optimizing the functioning of the European electricity market in order to resist future price volatility".

And it is in this paragraph that countries such as Italy, Spain or Greece could see a timid opening to decoupling the prices of electricity from those of gas.

RePowerEu will be one of the key themes of the summit.

And we will also talk about the financing provided for in the plan and, above all, about the allocation criteria for the funds which - this is the Commission's proposal - will be the same as those of the Recovery.

But several countries disagree on this point.

And, the risk of a collision, even on the energy dossier, is just around the corner.

The leaders, on the other hand, will talk about Ukraine and support for Kiev during the working dinner on Monday, which will also be attended by Volodymyr Zelensky, on video link.

In the draft conclusions, the European Council reaffirms military aid for the defense of Ukrainian integrity and territorial sovereignty.

And, as in previous versions, there is no reference to a truce or a ceasefire.

While in a separate chapter the EU leaders open to the

use of frozen Russian assets for Ukrainian reconstruction and ask Moscow to unblock the export of agricultural products by land and sea.

Foreshadowing ad hoc measures (and therefore excludes a European naval mission) to allow Ukrainian wheat to leave the Black Sea.

In short, if the EU appears to be split on the sanctions, on the strategy to be adopted with Moscow, it is the opposite front to any step backwards by Kiev that prevails.

Source: ansa

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