Gazprom President Mueller said on October 16 that the European cap on Russian gas prices violated the terms of the contract and would lead to a halt in supply.
Miller said: “We are following the contract that has been signed. This unilateral decision clearly violates the basic terms of the contract, which will result in a cessation of gas supply.
On October 12, an informal meeting of EU energy ministers was held in the Czech Republic. All parties at the meeting generally agreed to jointly purchase natural gas and promote energy conservation before the summer of 2023. However, in terms of natural gas price caps, whether it is a price cap on imported natural gas from Russia or a price cap on natural gas used for power generation, countries still have serious differences and fail to reach an agreement.
European Commissioner in charge of energy affairs Kadri Simsson said at a press conference after the meeting that joint procurement of natural gas can effectively avoid competition among member states to raise gas prices, and bulk purchases can also obtain preferential prices .
Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Sikla admitted that in dealing with the energy crisis, each member state has different conditions, rules and interests. He said the energy market had worked well for many years, and intervention in the market now required not only political agreement but also “effective and harmless” measures.
After Germany was criticized for announcing a 200 billion-euro energy subsidy plan, calls for a unified solution to the energy crisis across the European Union have grown louder, but member states are far apart on gas price caps. Germany remains skeptical of direct intervention in gas prices, arguing that price caps could lead to supply disruptions. Some countries, including France, Belgium and Italy, have agreed to set price caps. Spain and Portugal are already subsidizing the cost of natural gas used to generate electricity to reduce energy bills for households and businesses.