Belgium: Belgium’s energy minister has warned that EU countries will face “five to ten” “terrible” winters if nothing is done to reduce natural gas prices.
Calls are mounting for an EU-wide cap on the price of gas and its decoupling from the price of electricity.
EU states have been struggling with huge energy price hikes since key gas supplier Russia invaded Ukraine in February, triggering sanctions.
But Germany says it is replenishing its gas stores faster than expected.
Western countries backing Ukraine are trying to cut the amount of Russian gas and oil they import. Russia, which supplied the EU with 40% of its gas last year, has in turn restricted supplies.
Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten wrote on Twitter that gas prices in Europe needed to be frozen urgently, adding that the link between gas and electricity prices was artificial and needed to be reformed.
“The next five to ten winters will be terrible if we don’t do anything,” she said. “We must act at source, at European level, and work to freeze gas prices.”
Electricity prices have also been soaring in Europe, and reached record highs this week. Gas is a major source of electricity generation
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