Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo called on the European Union (EU) countries to collectively purchase energy so that the energy problem, which started with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, does not turn into a bigger crisis.
“If we don’t start working together now, we could face higher prices in the winter and maybe even famine,” said De Croo.
The most important agenda item on the second day of the EU Summit in Brussels is the energy problem.
EU leaders are discussing the rapidly increasing energy prices due to the war in Ukraine and the sanctions against Russia, and solutions to get rid of dependence on Russian gas.
Russia’s gradual stopping of gas flow to Europe has raised concerns that it may cause a new energy crisis in European countries as of autumn.
For this reason, the German government announced that “the second phase of the national gas supply emergency plan has been passed”. The plan includes a number of savings measures, including for companies and households to consume less gas.
Belgian Prime Minister De Croo told public broadcaster VRT before the leaders’ summit in Brussels that Germany’s expansion of its contingency plan revealed the magnitude of the problem.
According to De Croo, if Germany gets into trouble due to the energy crisis and the industry has to stop, it will negatively affect all EU countries.
De Croo said, “Now is the time for European solidarity,” and called on EU countries to “form a common energy bloc”.
“As EU countries, we must create a single energy bloc, use a common purchasing policy and use a handbrake to keep prices under control,” said the Belgian Prime Minister.
De Croo, who has been voicing this issue at all European summits for several months, emphasizes that his proposal is now attracting more attention.
At the summit in Brussels, De Croo will also call on the EU’s executive body, the European Commission, to come together this summer and take a series of joint measures to ensure that its member states have a trouble-free winter.
Belgian Prime Minister, “We must all understand that if everyone thinks about himself first, we will all go down together. If we don’t work together now, we may face higher prices and maybe even famine next winter,” said the Belgian Prime Minister.
‘EASY TO SAY, DIFFICULT TO APPLY’
Mathieu Blondeel, an energy geopolitics expert from Warwick Business School in England, argues that although De Croo’s “joint energy bloc” proposal sounds good, its implementation is not as easy as it sounds.
In a statement to Belgian Radio, Blondeel points out that there is already an EU solidarity mechanism on this issue, and says that nationalism outweighs in times of crisis.