Ministers approve extension of measures to mitigate impact of energy crisis

Brussels, 19 December (CTK correspondent) – EU energy ministers today reached an agreement in Brussels to extend three measures adopted last year in response to Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine. Their aim is to mitigate the impact of the energy crisis, particularly by lowering high energy prices and improving the security of gas supplies. The proposed one-year extension of the relevant regulations is justified by the fact that risks to the security of gas supplies in the EU persist. The Czech Republic was represented at the meeting by Industry Minister Jozef Síkela.

„Extending these three emergency measures is necessary to address the still fragile situation in the EU following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It will enable us to stabilise energy markets, mitigate the impact of the crisis and protect EU citizens from excessively high energy prices,“ Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Teresa Ribera commented on the agreement.

Spain currently holds the EU presidency.

However, the agreement reached at today’s ministerial meeting is not final; the member states still have to formally approve it through the so-called written procedure.

Most of the emergency energy measures were adopted last autumn during the Czech presidency of the Council of the EU. At today’s meeting, ministers returned to three of them. The first is so-called enhanced solidarity, meaning the redistribution of gas if a member state were to face a shortage, Jozef Síkela said. Ministers extended this measure by a further year, until 31 December 2024.

The second measure concerns the faster rollout of renewable energy and was in force from 30 December 2022 for 18 months. Some of its provisions have now been amended, and the measure has been extended until 30 June 2025, the Spanish presidency said in a statement.

The third measure approved today is aimed at protecting EU citizens and its economy from excessively high prices. The regulation has been in force since 1 February 2023 for one year and has now been extended by a further year, until 31 January 2025.

„These three measures are intended to help us be better prepared for the coming winter and also strengthen energy resilience,“ the Czech minister said ahead of the meeting.

„We have done a great deal, but there is still a long way to go, because access to sufficient, affordable energy is absolutely crucial for European households and for the competitiveness of European economies,“ Síkela added.

Before today’s meeting, a meeting of the so-called nuclear club—countries that use nuclear energy, including the Czech Republic—was also held. France hosted the gathering at the Brussels institutions. While the sector had been in decline in previous years, attitudes towards nuclear energy have been changing over the past year, and the European nuclear club is expanding.

„We discussed technological neutrality, meaning that nuclear energy should have exactly the same status as renewable energy sources,“ Minister Síkela said of the meeting.

As he added, this includes energy storage. He specifically mentioned the example of „nuclear hydrogen“, which, he said, should have the same status „as green hydrogen produced from renewable sources“.

Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko also joined the ministers via videoconference. Minister Síkela expected him to provide a detailed update on the situation in the country and explain how member states could help Kyiv as much as possible.

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