Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

EU should be 'very careful' about capping gas prices, warns German minister

EU should be 'very careful' about capping gas prices, warns German minister

The European Union should be "very careful" about imposing a price cap on all gas imports entering the bloc, Anna Lührmann, Germany's minister of state for Europe, has warned.
The idea of an EU-wide gas cap has gained traction in recent weeks after prices broke new records in August and pushed electricity bills to unsustainable highs. Italy, Belgium, Greece, Sweden and Poland are among those backing the initiative, which is still in its early stages.

But Germany, the EU's largest economy and gas consumer, remains opposed, believing the measure could scare suppliers away and endanger the bloc's security of supply.

"The issue with the price cap is that: if you introduce a price cap, as the EU unilaterally, and all the other consumers around the world don't do it, then the gas will go to other consumers and thus we might have a shortage in gas supplies," Lührmann told Euronews in an interview.

"So, I think we should be very careful with these kinds of price caps and do everything we can to diversify our supply structure. That will also help to address the price issues."

Lührmann said that, instead of imposing a horizontal price cap on gas imports, the EU should engage directly with its main gas suppliers and negotiate lower prices.

"It would be important to discuss with individual gas suppliers, such as Norway, ways to reduce the price because they have a big interest in the European Union and the European market," the minister said.

"But overall, there's no alternative to actually finding the ways of how we can use energy more efficiently and how we can build up a sustainable energy system [based] mainly on renewable sources."

Norway, which this year replaced Russia as the EU's leading gas supplier, has said it is "skeptical" about a price cap but open to finding solutions. The country's trade surplus reached an all-time high of almost €20 billion in August, mostly due to soaring gas prices.

The European Commission is studying the measure's potential risks, including its impact on the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, and has not yet tabled a formal proposal for ministers to discuss.

For the time being, the EU's emergency package will focus on three elements: electricity savings during peak hours, a cap on the excess revenues made by non-gas power plants (such as wind, solar and nuclear) and a windfall tax on the surplus profits reaped by fossil fuel companies.

The overall goal is to curb demand while raising extra money for governments.

"We can use those surpluses and give them back to consumers, to citizens, particularly those in need, so that we reduce the prices for them," Lührmann said.

The minister, who belongs to the Greens, said the new EU measures are a "very good" starting point but should be complemented by an extra effort at the national level to boost renewables.

"I'm quite convinced that if we follow them through," she said, "we [can] manage to get through this winter and also create conditions to make our economies sustainable without Russian energy supplies."

EU energy ministers are set to meet on Sept. 30 to debate and green light the emergency measures.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
EU Majority Demands Hungary Reverse Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws
Top Hotel Picks for 2025 Stays in Budapest Revealed
Iron Maiden Unveils 2025 Tour Setlist in Budapest
Chinese Film Week Opens in Budapest to Promote Cultural Exchange
Budapest Airport Launches Direct Flights to Shymkent
Von der Leyen Denies Urging EU Officials to Skip Budapest Pride
Alcaraz and Sinner Advance with Convincing Wins at Roland Garros
EU Ministers Lack Consensus on Sanctioning Hungary Over Rule of Law
EU Nations Urge Action Against Hungary's Pride Parade Ban
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
U.S. Considers Withdrawing Troops from Europe
Russia Deploys Motorbike Squads in Ukraine Conflict
Critics Accuse European Court of Human Rights of Overreach
×