Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store warned that measures to ease the burden of strained energy markets must avoid making matters worse, and that predictability and a long-term perspective will serve both gas suppliers and consumers.
(Bloomberg) — Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store warned that measures to ease the burden of strained energy markets must avoid making matters worse, and that predictability and a long-term perspective will serve both gas suppliers and consumers.
“It is good that our partners and allies in Europe are jointly discussing different solutions to the very difficult situation that has arisen as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,” he said in a statement after speaking with Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. “At the same time, we must not introduce measures that have unintended consequences and that, in the worst case, can contribute to worsening the situation in the long term.”
Norway has become Europe’s biggest supplier of natural gas since Russia started to squeeze gas exports to the bloc. The Nordic nation has boosted production and prioritized oil and gas flows to the region. Norway will take a thorough look at the proposals being considered by the EU and is open to discussing different solutions, Store said.
The statement comes after the EU flagged unprecedented plans to step into energy markets. Energy ministers will meet on Friday to discuss plans for a levy on fossil-fuel producers, a limit on excess revenues of companies producing power from sources other than gas and may also consider a proposal to cap prices of Russian gas imports.
Store said a maximum price for gas was not a topic in his conversation with Von der Leyen.
More stories like this are available on bloomberg.com
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.
