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EU leaders agree roadmap in the energy dispute

2022-10-21T02:36:42.300Z


Eleven hours of discussion followed, in the middle of the night, when agreement was reached: the EU countries have found a common concept for the energy crisis. Details are still sparse.


Enlarge image

Olaf Scholz at the EU summit in Brussels

Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / dpa

The heads of state and government of the European Union have agreed on a roadmap in the energy dispute.

EU Council President Charles Michel said on Twitter on Friday morning that the EU countries had agreed at their Brussels summit to "devise measures to contain energy prices for households and companies".

The EU now has "a very good timetable," said Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD), the federal states have agreed on joint gas purchases, which the EU Commission proposes to make to a small extent mandatory.

"I think that's good progress," said Scholz in Brussels.

In addition, at a meeting in Luxembourg next Tuesday, the EU energy ministers are to examine how price fluctuations caused by speculation on the gas market can be prevented.

The goal is "that it is not impossible to get gas because of arbitrarily set prices," said the Chancellor.

But many questions remain unanswered.

"There are still many doubts" about the question of whether a European upper limit for gas prices, such as in Spain and Portugal, is possible, said Scholz.

Countries like Germany and Denmark spoke out against it.

The Chancellor therefore did not rule out another EU summit.

French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his satisfaction with the agreement: "In my opinion, the goals of this summit have been achieved," he said after more than eleven hours of deliberations, which diplomats had described as tough.

France, together with the majority of countries, had campaigned for a European gas price cap and called on Scholz to give in.

According to Macron, the EU could already have “mechanisms that can be implemented by the end of October or beginning of November”.

The EU Commission is now to present concrete legislative proposals for this.

Berlin doesn't want to know anything about trouble with France

Scholz firmly rejected Macron's assessment that he was "isolated" as Germany's representative in the EU.

This is "in no way" the case, emphasized the Chancellor.

The cooperation between him and the French President is as "intensive" as it is "successful".

Macron said he mediated at the summit together with Council President Michel and "established unity between the positions".

He will receive Scholz next Wednesday in Paris "so that we can make progress".

Berlin and Paris had previously canceled a joint ministerial meeting, citing a lack of agreement on central points.

There are points of contention in energy and armaments policy.

jok/AFP

Source: spiegel

All news articles on 2022-10-21

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