Brussels prepares measures to address the rise in the price of electricity after pressure from Spain

"The European Commissioner [Kadri Simson] has concluded the debate by sharing that they are working on the preparation of proposals for flexible options to be able to address this situation at the European level, and that in the coming weeks they will make their proposals known to all, "explained Ribera this Wednesday after a meeting of Energy Ministers of the European Union in Slovenia.

According to Ribera, "most of the energy ministers have expressed their concern about the evolution of energy prices in the whole of the European Union and have supported the idea of ​​a response in which the European Commission has much to offer. ".

The European Commission acknowledges that there are "conversations" with Member States, and states that "there are tools that Member States have available in tax and social policies, that and there are measures that they can take within certain circumstances to help vulnerable households ".

"There is a dialogue that is maintained bilaterally, and the Spanish case has been very constructive. We have listened to the proposals they have made, but they are not the only ones," continues the Community Executive: "The issue of energy prices is much more complex than it seems at first glance. If you look at the composition of the energy price, you will see that there is a price of the energy source itself, and in the case of most energy sources you have the costs of transportation and distribution, and then you have all the taxes and levies, for example. You have to analyze the problem in a way that identifies the real causes of the price increases to identify what the possible solutions could be, and then at what level it can be The Commission takes these issues very seriously and talks to the Member States, but must make sure to distinguish between a structural policy issue where, by the way, there is full agreement between the Member States. embros, which is the need for long-term efforts to combat climate change. And the issue of rising costs for households in their energy bill, which is very important, but which we must address as an economic issue that may require different types of measures. "

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, wants to launch the debate on a European scale at the next summit, on October 21 and 22 in Brussels, as announced by the Secretary of State for the EU, Juan González-Barba, upon his arrival at the Council General Affairs in Brussels this Tuesday: "We want a European debate on the energy market as a result of the rise in electricity prices to be included on the agenda of the next European Council."

"What you want is for there to be a European debate," González-Barba continued, "to analyze what are the causes of the current rise in prices and what elements of the current regulatory framework for setting prices in the energy market they are susceptible to an improvement within the European approach ".

The vice presidents of Economic Affairs and Ecological Transition, Nadia Calviño and Teresa Ribera, respectively, have sent a new letter to the European Commission this Monday in which they demand a community solution to the "unprecedented" rise in the price of electricity, They warn that the current situation puts both the economic recovery and the EU's green transition at risk.

In addition, the Spanish Government insists to Brussels on the need to reform the operation of the wholesale electricity market and proposes the creation of a centralized platform for gas purchases with the aim of reducing dependency on the block by generating reserves.

"We believe that if the rules of the game are established at the European level, the solutions should also", says the letter sent to the vice president of the Community Executive for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, the vice president responsible for the Competition portfolio, Margrethe Vestager, and the Energy Commissioner, Kadri Simson.

The letter also stresses that "many" EU countries "are beginning to feel the impact of this unprecedented increase in energy prices" and recall that Spain "has adopted a set of emergency measures" taking into account "the limits of the EU legal framework ".

"We have the letter," said the Community Executive: "We will take the time to analyze it. It is too early to respond to these requests from the Spanish authorities."

The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, already pointed to the European sphere last Friday from Athens. "We are all adopting national responses," Sánchez said at the EU Mediterranean Summit: "But it is a European problem that has to be addressed by the entire European Union."