Rising energy prices are the dominant topic in Europe these days. State governments everywhere are looking for answers to the question of how they can relieve their citizens financially. Some rely primarily on direct payments and tax rebates. Some, such as Italy, Romania and Greece, have introduced excess profit taxes to collect profits from energy companies and redistribute them to consumers in the form of subsidies. Some countries and others are discussing price caps in various forms – a topic on which the EU Commission intends to present proposals in the near future. The agency’s currently preferred model is to set a price cap for cheaply generated electricity from wind or sun, which would allow governments to skim off the difference when exchange prices are higher. Von der Leyen also brought up a price cap for Russian pipeline gas on Friday, without giving details. So far, the idea of Gazprom gas buyers forming a cartel has not been considered realistic.
How other European countries are dealing with the energy crisis – Economy
