EU countries are scrambling to face up to a challenging winter ahead, with consumers facing skyrocketing energy prices. Brussels plans a series of measures aimed at shielding households and businesses from high energy costs.
The EU plans to require manufacturers to give priority to European bids, rather than Chinese or American ones. Also important this week: Brussels is close to adopting a price cap that could affect the purchases of Russian methane while the Albanian government decided to subsidize the production of wheat in the country.
Europe in brief: The electricity market and inflation in Europe, the training mission for the Ukrainian forces, the nuclear power plant at Zaporizhzhya and the nuclear agreement with Iran are some of the issues that have dominated European news in the last few days. Also this week: German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to make the European Union fit for enlargement by strengthening it with far-reaching reforms.
On the occasion of the Europe-wide Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Totalitarian and Authoritarian Regimes, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted: Europe will continue to stand by Ukraine’s side in the long term. Apart from that, half of Europe is affected by drought.
The latest EU parliament’s decision to back the labelling of natural gas and nuclear power as climate-friendly divides member countries. While some countries oppose the proposal, it sparks claims of greenwashing by environmental lobbyists.