Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker stated the need to make energy costs a top priority for the upcoming summit of European Union leaders in Belgium. According to him, high energy tariffs are a key factor hindering the development of the European economy and jeopardizing the competitiveness of the industrial sector in the global market. This is reported by Politico, writes UNN.
Details
In an interview with Politico, Christian Stocker emphasized that the current price situation is literally "strangling" businesses across the bloc. He stressed that no other problem has such a massive negative impact on EU member states simultaneously.
The most urgent task is to reduce energy prices
He added that without decisive steps from Brussels, European industry risks losing its position.
Stocker's call came amid preparations for an informal summit in Belgium, where EU leaders plan to discuss strategies for economic growth and strengthening the bloc's independence. The Austrian leader joined a group of European politicians, including the prime ministers of the Czech Republic and Hungary, who criticize overly strict environmental regulations, which, in their opinion, artificially inflate the cost of resources.
Review of environmental policy and industrial quotas
The Austrian Chancellor criticized the approach to implementing the "Green Deal," calling it unstable in its current form. Stocker noted that in his country, CO2 emissions reductions occurred mainly due to a decline in industrial production, rather than technological progress.
Becoming greener cannot be our goal if it means becoming poorer