After having succeeded in reducing the dependence of the EU to Russian gas, the energy ministers of the twenty-seven, gathered in Prague on Friday, were looking for solutions to curb the outbreak of hydrocarbons prices.
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At the entrance to summer, while the war in Ukraine continued and Russia had already drastically reduced its gas deliveries, Europeans feared above all to miss this hydrocarbon for the winter in come. Since then, the Kremlin has closed the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline and continued to ration its European customers. However, Friday, September 9, the energy ministers of the twenty-seven, which met in Prague, were not alarmed. With rare exceptions, they believe they have done what is necessary to ensure their fellow citizens a relative energy security.
Admittedly, Slovakia and the Czech Republic remain dependent on Russian gas. Of course, the German industry has not yet completely freed it. But in their vast majority, today, Europeans can live without Russian gas: before the war, it represented 10 % of their energy consumption; Today, the figure fell to 2.5 %. The rise in gas stocks – reserves are completed on average to 83 % of their capacities within the European Union (EU) -, the drop in demand, the improvement of interconnections between European countries and the use of Other suppliers (United States, Algeria, Norway, Qatar, etc.) have enabled them, in record time, to get rid of the Moscow yoke.
But weighing their weight to prevent gas supply breaks, the twenty-seven contributed to its increase in Europe. Especially since the Kremlin knew how to “manipulate” the markets, as repeated by Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the commission.
In stride, the prices of electricity have soared. Indeed, the single electricity market provides, to ensure the supply of all, that its price is determined by the cost of the most expensive power station – generally, a gas power plant – which will be used to respond to Requirement. Drought this summer, which has reduced hydroelectric production, and the difficulties of several nuclear power plants in France have not arranged anything.
In this context, it is no longer the gas supply that worries the twenty-seven but the outbreak of energy prices, which threatens the competitiveness of their businesses and stirs up social tensions. “We have managed the supply component”, but the problem today, “is the high prices”, judge Tinne Van der Straeten, the Belgian Minister. Friday, the twenty -seven therefore asked the Commission to make them legislative proposals as soon as possible – it will be Tuesday, September 13 – which will allow inflation to be overcome. “We will not drop our citizens and our businesses,” insisted Josef Sikala, the Czech Minister of Industry, whose country occupies the rotating presidency of the EU Council.
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