Joint gas purchases coming: EU summit finds consensus in the energy dispute

The EU representatives in Brussels have been negotiating for ten hours on a common line for limiting energy prices for households and companies.

Joint gas purchases coming: EU summit finds consensus in the energy dispute

The EU representatives in Brussels have been negotiating for ten hours on a common line for limiting energy prices for households and companies. At a later hour, one will then apparently agree - if not in detail.

The heads of state and government of the European Union have reached an agreement in principle in the energy dispute. EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter that night that they had agreed at their Brussels summit to "devise measures to contain energy prices for households and companies". He also wrote that "unity and solidarity" prevailed.

According to Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, the federal states have agreed on joint gas purchases, some of which should be mandatory on the proposal of the EU Commission. "I think that's good progress," said Scholz in Brussels. In addition, the EU energy ministers are to examine in detail next Tuesday how price fluctuations through speculation on the gas market can be prevented. The aim is "that it is not impossible to get gas through arbitrarily set prices," the Chancellor continued.

"There are still many doubts" about the question of whether a European upper limit for gas prices is possible, as is the case in Spain and Portugal. Countries like Germany and Denmark spoke out against it.