Commission rejects criticism of slow response to energy crisis: "We are fully on schedule"

On Monday, the European Commission rejected criticism that it is dragging its feet in formulating proposals to tackle the energy crisis. "We are fully on schedule", European Commission chief spokesperson Eric Mamer responded when asked about European Council President Charles Michel his call to urgently tackle the energy price crisis.

The Belgian Council President ramped up the pressure on the European Commission in an interview with La Libre published on Saturday.

"We urgently need concrete proposals," Michel told the Belgian daily. “There is not a day to lose,” the Council President argued. 

This "highly complex" work is underway, according to the Commission. President Ursula von der Leyen will discuss energy issues at the meeting with the permanent EU-27 representatives scheduled for Wednesday in preparation for the Council of Energy Ministers next Friday. By the end of the week, the Commission will finalise an unofficial document ('non-paper') setting out "a state of affairs and the development of our proposals".

"Given the extreme complexity of the energy issue and the sensitivities involved, there is work to be done before we finalise our proposals. That is to ensure that our interventions deliver the right results, in terms of consumers or strategic demand reduction. That work is ongoing," Eric Mamer stated.

The spokesman pointed out that the Commission has announced that it would make proposals on the structure of the electricity market early next year, and that emergency measures should be considered to cope with a deteriorating situation in the meantime.

"So I think we are fully on track. What we put on the table will be all the more useful if we have taken the time to analyse the problem in all its aspects," said Mamer.

(KOR)

European Council President Charles Michel © Ludovic MARIN / AFP