According to Reuters, EU countries are divided over whether the Union should curb rising energy prices.
10.3. 15: 00 • Updated March 10. 15:12
An EU summit in Versailles, France, starting on Thursday, will consider ways to reduce dependence on Russian oil, gas and coal.
According to a draft taken over by the news agency Reuters, EU leaders would promise in a joint statement to gradually reduce fossil fuel imports from Russia. The draft proposes to accelerate the introduction of renewable energy, among other things.
However, the draft does not mention a timetable for reaching the target. A source in the EU interviewed by Reuters says some countries are proposing 2030, others 2027 and some are calling for an immediate exit from import dependence.
The two-day summit will focus not only on the implementation of the plan, but also on its financing.
Price cap talked about
Some countries, including Belgium, want the EU to set a ceiling on wholesale gas prices. Others warn that a price cap could reduce the incentive to invest in renewable energy or liquefied natural gas.
EU countries import about 40 percent of their natural gas, 27 percent of imported oil, and 46 percent of imported coal from Russia. The summit is also due to discuss what to do if energy supplies are disrupted.
So far, imports from Russia have followed the same pattern, despite the war and EU sanctions on Russia.
The United States, which is less dependent on Russian oil and gas, banned their imports on Tuesday. In the EU, Germany, among others, opposes the import ban.
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