Ready to "urgently assess" the compatibility of the emergency temporary measures on the electricity market that states decide to implement;member states, the Commission says in its conclusions document following the marathon summit, where the mitigation of the impact of fossil fuel prices on electricity production was also discussed.
Detailed text of the conclusions
In assessing this compatibility, the Commission has also decided that it will ensure, through an urgency procedure, that the following conditions are met:
The measures to be implemented by Member States reduce spot prices on the electricity market for companies and consumers and do not affect trading conditions to an extent contrary to the common interest.
In conducting this assessment, the temporary nature of the measures and the level of interconnection with the single European electricity market will be taken into account.
Earlier, the "27" reached a compromise[/B] on the request of Spain and Portugal to include, as part of conclusions, the decoupling of the price of gas from the price of electricity in order to reduce electricity bills for consumers.
Under the European Council conclusions, EU member states can notify the Commission if they want to take measures that run counter to existing EU electricity market rules, but in any case these measures will be temporary and will not undermine the EU's internal market.
The EU will phase out its dependence on imports of Russian gas, oil and coal as soon as possible, as set out in the Versailles Declaration. Therefore, the European Council looks forward to a comprehensive and ambitious plan, to be developed in close coordination with Member States and the European Commission, to be presented by the EU by the end of May 2022.
At the same time, the European Council calls on Member States and the European Commission to continue to make best use of the toolbox of measures against Moscow and instructs the EU Council and the Commission to communicate decisions on energy imports to stakeholders.
"Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine is in flagrant violation of international law."
The EU-27 condemned the invasion of Ukraine and called on Russia to fully respect its obligations under international law and to comply with the recent order of the International Court of Justice calling on Russia to withdraw from Ukraine.
"Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine is in flagrant violation of international law and is causing massive loss of life and injuries to civilians," the 27-nation EU leaders said in a joint statement.
"Russia is directing attacks against civilians and targeting civilian facilities and infrastructure, including hospitals, medical facilities, schools and shelters. These war crimes must stop immediately," they said.
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