The hikes in energy prices and disruptions to energy supply are top concerns for EU leaders and the Council. EU countries are united and are closely coordinating measures to respond to high prices and imbalances in the energy market.
Unity among EU member states is essential to face the energy crisis. Working together is the best way for EU countries to better mitigate the impact of the crisis and reduce risks. For instance, joint purchases of energy can reduce costs of imports.
In the current context of high uncertainty of energy supply and delivery interruptions by Russia, solidarity among EU countries is also needed for providing support to those countries that are more dependent on Russian energy and therefore more affected by any supply cuts.
The main goals of the EU’s response to the energy crisis are to:
- ensure affordable and competitive energy for EU consumers
- increase the EU’s energy security and preparedness in the event of emergencies
- strengthen the energy resilience and autonomy of EU countries
To this end, EU countries are working together on:
- improving solidarity and sharing supply
- cutting energy costs for households and businesses
- reducing the EU’s energy dependencies
- securing gas supplies
- accelerating the green transition
In October 2022, the European Council reached a deal on further measures to be taken at EU level to address the energy crisis. Leaders called on the Council and the Commission to urgently submit concrete decisions on, among others:
- joint purchases of gas
- price benchmarks for gas
- improvements to the functioning of energy markets
- energy solidarity measures in case of gas supply disruptions
- increased efforts to save energy
By https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/policies/energy-prices-and-security-of-supply/
