European Union leaders reach agreement on measures to deal with the energy crisis

New Delhi: The leaders of the 27 EU member states have agreed on measures to deal with the energy crisis, European Council President Charles Michel said on Friday.

“The European Council has reached an energy agreement,” he said on Twitter.

The leaders of the 27 EU member states haven’t approved a package of measures to deal with the energy crisis that was proposed by the European Commission, according to a European Council statement released on Friday.

“The European Council calls on the Council and the Commission to urgently submit concrete decisions on the following additional measures, as well as on the Commission proposals, having assessed their impact notably on existing energy supply contracts, including the non-affectation of long-term contracts, and taking into account the different energy mixes and national circumstances,” the statement said.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said at a news conference that the EU leaders “gave strategic guidance” to work on a new package of measures.

The ongoing crisis started with the pandemic; gas use rose during COVID-19, and due to discrepancies between supply and demand and a cold winter in 2021, approximately 30 UK energy suppliers went bankrupt last year.

Since then, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen gas prices increase further due to disruptions and trade sanctions against Russia.

(Vinayak)