Rome, 8 June (LaPresse) – Ahead of the European Council meeting on 18 and 19 June, and in light of the latest developments in the Middle East, the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever hosted a video conference meeting of the informal working group on European competitiveness, launched during the leaders’ retreat in Alden Biesen on 12 February. Alongside Italy, Germany and Belgium, the video conference was attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the leaders of Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Spain and Sweden. This was announced in a statement from Palazzo Chigi. The discussion focused primarily on the implementation of the March European Council’s conclusions on competitiveness, starting with the reduction of energy prices and administrative simplification. President Meloni, in thanking the Commission President for providing an initial concrete response to the letter sent by Italy on 17 May regarding the possibility of allocating up to 0.6% of GDP over three years to investments and extraordinary measures in the energy sector within the framework of the already envisaged National Safeguard Clause (NEC), went on to reiterate the need for an extraordinary effort, at both national and European level, to counter the short- and medium-term effects of the energy crisis. Finally, the President emphasised the need for the planned proposal to revise the ETS Directive, expected by next July, to focus on mitigating its impact on energy prices, reducing tariff volatility and eliminating asymmetric effects on Member States.
Energy: Meloni to EU leaders: ‘We need an extraordinary effort to tackle the crisis’
Rome, 8 June (LaPresse) – Ahead of the European Council meeting on 18 and 19 June, and in light of the latest developments in the Middle East, the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever hosted a video conference meeting of the informal working group on European competitiveness, launched during the leaders’ retreat in Alden Biesen on 12 February. Alongside Italy, Germany and Belgium, the video conference was attended by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the leaders of Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Romania, Spain and Sweden. This was announced in a statement from Palazzo Chigi. The discussion focused primarily on the implementation of the March European Council’s conclusions on competitiveness, starting with the reduction of energy prices and administrative simplification. President Meloni, in thanking the Commission President for providing an initial concrete response to the letter sent by Italy on 17 May regarding the possibility of allocating up to 0.6% of GDP over three years to investments and extraordinary measures in the energy sector within the framework of the already envisaged National Safeguard Clause (NEC), went on to reiterate the need for an extraordinary effort, at both national and European level, to counter the short- and medium-term effects of the energy crisis. Finally, the President emphasised the need for the planned proposal to revise the ETS Directive, expected by next July, to focus on mitigating its impact on energy prices, reducing tariff volatility and eliminating asymmetric effects on Member States.
