Spain still does not persuade Germany and the Netherlands about energy prices

Brussels, 25 Mar The leaders of the European Union (EU) are engaged in an “intense” debate on electricity prices in which the two countries most reluctant to adopt the measures advocated by Spain to temporarily intervene in the market, such as the Netherlands or Germany, remain convinced that they are not the right ones. In a first round of interventions at the summit, virtually all EU heads of state and government “asked to amend” the draft that came to their table after a debate in which they reiterated the “very different” starting positions that were already known before the meeting, community sources explained. Although “all the options” that the European Commission introduced in the menu it presented last Wednesday are being evaluated, the same sources see a possible “landing zone” in the idea of promoting joint gas purchases and improving the storage of this hydrocarbon in Europe for next winter. But asked if a specific solution is being considered for the Iberian Peninsula, as advocated by the President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and his Portuguese counterpart, António Costa, they respond that a solution that “fits all” is being sought. Germany and, especially, the Netherlands, are still not twisting their arm and warn that putting a limit on the price of gas in the wholesale market and compensating electricity the difference would mean distorting the European electricity market. In addition, Dutch sources explain that creating a fund to pay such compensation to electricity companies at European level could lead to the bloc's capitals ending up financing energy giant Gazprom. Spain, for its part, continues to work “with a constructive attitude”, Moncloa sources point out, and seeks to convince the need to adopt the measures that Sánchez has brought to the debate table in Berlin, considered the key partner for his endorsement to encourage the rest of the skeptics. The first round of interventions by heads of State and Government lasted almost five hours and the meeting was suspended to continue work at the technical level before the leaders returned to the table shortly before 3 p.m. home-jaf/cat/pddp (More information about the European Union at euroefe.euractiv.es)