The gas price cap is unacceptable for Hungary - this is what Péter Szijjártó spoke about in Brussels, after the extraordinary meeting of the energy ministers. The foreign minister emphasized: the Russians clearly said that if Europe introduces a price cap on gas, they will stop the supply. He added: the price cap would make Hungary's energy supply completely impossible, which is why we still do not support it.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, at the press conference following the extraordinary meeting of the EU Energy Council, the head of the ministry reported that the European Commission's four-element package of fresh proposals had been accepted in the midst of "perhaps the most serious energy supply crisis of all time".
The first point of the voted package refers to a mandatory five percent reduction in electricity consumption during peak hours. The second is that the state can intervene in the retail prices of electricity on a voluntary basis, he informed.
Pursuant to the third and fourth points, the incomes of the so-called inframarginal electricity producers are limited, and a solidarity contribution is imposed on the surplus profits generated in the petroleum, natural gas, coal and refinery sectors. At the same time, these already exist in Hungary in the form of the mandatory takeover support system and the extra profit tax, so the measures adopted in this area do not impose any obligations on our country, he underlined. Péter Szijjártó stated: "the tax and financial mechanisms already operating in Hungary practically achieve the same goal and effect in terms of their purpose and effect as the one discussed here".
"This package is not suitable to bring a solution to the current energy supply crisis in Europe. In any case, it might not hurt to harm, but to use it, I think it will not do any harm," he said . He welcomed the fact that the measures do not include a gas price cap, as that would basically make it impossible to supply Hungary. "Everyone knows, because the Russians have clearly said that if the European Union introduces a price cap, they will completely stop gas deliveries to Europe," he pointed out.
At the same time, he called the proposal hypocritical, after he said it was obvious that it was not an economic decision, but a political one, i.e. it was actually a sanction measure, the adoption of which would require unanimity on the part of the member states.
The minister said that the price cap was proposed by those who were not involved in the issue in any way, and therefore asked them to "not try to be heroic here at our expense" . As he said, the European Commission has so far fallen behind the member states, but "we should not lull ourselves into the naive illusion that this issue will not come up again".
In response to journalists' questions, Péter Szijjártó said that Gazprom assured Hungary that the transport through the Turkish Stream pipeline would continue to be undisturbed.
He also stated that the planned new EU sanctions package contains several proposals that could cause problems during the Paks expansion, and that Hungary firmly rejects these.
"We are not willing to accept any kind of blackmail, we will only make a decision in the Hungarian national interest regarding the sanctions," he stated.
Source: hirado.hu
