English Version :
EU energy ministers in Brussels for an Extraordinary Energy Council Meeting to discuss energy gas prices and their effects on electricity production
“More work needs to be done at EU level to ensure gas price stability” – Minister Miriam Dalli
European Union energy ministers convened today in Brussels for an Extraordinary Energy Council to discuss proposals for three emergency regulations on establishing a solidarity mechanism on energy, an easier renewable permitting process, and a market correction mechanism for gas prices, also known as a gas price cap.
During the last European Council, the prime ministers of 16 EU member states, including Malta, called on the European Commission to issue a proposal allowing for lower and stable gas prices across the bloc. However, during today’s meeting, there was no agreement on the proposal presented by the Commission, which was not considered favorably by most EU member states due to several reservations.
Malta is among the countries that are disagreeing with this proposal. Minister for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Miriam Dalli said that while Malta agreed with the proposals for energy solidarity and easier permitting process for renewables, it cannot agree with the way the market correction mechanism is being proposed.
The minister explained that the way the market correction mechanism was proposed neither tackles the need for stabilisation of gas prices nor ensures an implementable mechanism that can truly assist member states deal with gas prices. “Unfortunately, the proposal before us does not address our concerns and will not be effective in controlling the exorbitant gas prices used for electricity production”, said the minister.
In this regard, the EU energy ministers decided to continue the negotiations in the coming days to reach an agreement on solutions that can make a difference in gas prices.
Maltese Version
Il-ministri tal-enerġija tal-Unjoni Ewropea ltaqgħu Brussell għall-Kunsill Straordinarju tal-Enerġija biex jiddiskutu l-kriżi fil-prezzijiet tal-gass u l-effetti fuq il-produzzjoni tal-elettriku
“Jeħtieġ aktar diskussjonijiet fuq livell Ewropew biex niżguraw stabbiltà fil-prezz tal-gass” – Il-Ministru Miriam Dalli
Il-ministri tal-enerġija tal-Unjoni Ewropea ltaqgħu fi Brussell biex jiddiskutu tliet proposti għar-regolamenti ta’ emerġenza, waħda dwar il-prinċipji li jistabbilixxu solidarjetà bejn l-istati membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea, it-tieni dwar kundizzjonijiet li jistgħu jagħmlu l-permessi għall-installazzjonijiet ta’ enerġija rinnovabbli aktar faċli u t- tielet dwar mekkaniżmu ta’ korrezzjoni tas-suq tal-gass, magħruf ukoll bħala ‘gas price cap’.
Waqt l-aħħar Kunsill Ewropew, il-mexxejja ta’ 16-il stat membru tal-Unjoni Ewropea, inkluża Malta, qablu biex il-Kummissjoni tressaq proposta għal prezzijiet tal-gass orħos u aktar stabbli madwar l-Unjoni Ewropea. Iżda wara l-laqgħa li saret illum, ma kienx hemm qbil fuq il-proposta mressqa mill-Kummissjoni, fejn ma kinitx milqugħa pożittivament minn numru kbir ta’ stati membri, minħabba diversi riżervi.
Malta hija fost il-pajjiżi li esprimew in-nuqqas ta’ qbil tagħhom dwar din il-proposta. Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent, l-Enerġija u l-Intrapriża Miriam Dalli qalet li filwaqt li Malta taqbel mal-proposti maqbula dwar is-solidarjetà u l-permessi għar-rinnovabbli, ma tistax taqbel mal-mod kif il-mekkaniżmu ta’ korrezzjoni tas-suq tal-gass qed jiġi propost.
Il-ministru qalet li l-proposta kif inhi la tindirizza l-ħtieġa li l-prezz tal-gass jinżamm baxx u lanqas tiżgura sitwazzjoni fejn il-pajjiżi jistgħu verament ikollhom l-għajnuna meħtieġa fejn jidħol il-prezz tal-gass. “Sfortunatament, il-proposta li għandna quddiemna ma tindirizzax it-tħassib tagħna u mhux se tgħin biex tikkontrolla l-prezzijiet għoljin tal-gass użat għall-elettriku,” qalet Miriam Dalli.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan in-nuqqas ta’ qbil, il-ministri tal-enerġija Ewropej iddeċidew li jkomplu bid-diskussjonijiet fiż- żmien li ġej, bil-għan li jintlaħaq qbil dwar soluzzjonijiet li verament jagħmlu d-differenza fil-prezz tal-gass.