Sant jappella għall-kollaborazzjoni tal-gvern u s-settur privat biex jimmaniġġjaw il-provvisti tal-enerġija Ewropej

L-eks Prim Ministru u MPE Laburista Alfred Sant sostna li l-mudell li trid timxi bih l-Unjoni Ewropea għandu jkun dak ta’ gwerra ekonomika li ssir biex jiġu żgurati u mmassimizzati l-provvisti tal-enerġija filwaqt li jiġu stabbilizzati l-prezzijiet. Fl-intervent tiegħu fil-plenarja tal-Parlament Ewropew fi Strasburgu dwar ir-rispons tal-Unjoni għaż-żidiet fil-prezzijiet tal-enerġija huwa nnota li dipendenza unika fuq il-bidliet u l-manipulazzjoni tal-forzi tas-suq, flimkien mas-sussidji tal-konsumatur, għandha probabbiltà għolja ta’ falliment.

Id-dibattitu fforma parti mill-isforzi kontinwi fi ħdan l-Unjoni Ewropea biex jiġi implimentat pjan Ewropew ikkoordinat għall-ġestjoni tal-provvisti tal-enerġija għax-xitwa li ġejja u lil hinn, wara t-tfixkil tal-provvisti tal-gass Russu u l-prezzijiet tal-enerġija li qed jogħlew. Eżatt qabel il-plenarja, il-President tal-Kummissjoni Ewropea von der Leyen għamlet proposti għal azzjoni konġunta ġdida mill-Istati Membri tal-Unjoni Ewropea.

Sant qabel li l-prezz tal-gass irid jiġi separat minn dak issetjat għall-elettriku. Madanakollu, huwa sostna li ffissar ta’ limitu massimu tal-prezzijiet tal-enerġija għandu jseħħ b’mod ġenerali, mhux biss għall-gass naturali mir-Russja. Sadanittant, għandu jkun hemm trasparenza totali dwar dak li qed isir, f’termini ta’ prezz u permezz ta’ azzjoni governattiva.

In-nazzjonalizzazzjoni diretta temporanja ma tistax tiġi mwarrba minħabba n-natura tagħa, stqarr Sant. Il-miżuri għandhom jiġu kkalibrati flimkien, fil-livelli kollha tal-ispettru tal-enerġija permezz ta’ azzjoni tal-gvern, kollaborazzjoni tas-settur privat u koordinazzjoni bejn l-Istati Membri. Huwa staqsa jekk dak li ġie propost s’issa huwiex dettaljat biżżejjed biex joffri sigurtà sħiħa tal-enerġija u stabbilizzazzjoni tal-prezzijiet.

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Sant calls for government and private sector collaboration to manage European energy supplies

Former Prime Minister and Labour MEP Alfred Sant stated that the model to be followed by the European Union should be that of an economic war conducted to secure and maximise energy supplies while stabilising prices. In his intervention to the plenary of the European Parliament in Strasbourg about the Union’s response to the energy prices rises he noted that a sole reliance on the canalisation and manipulation of market forces, plus consumer subsidies, has a high probability of insuccess.

The debate formed part of ongoing efforts within the European Union to put in place a coordinated European plan to manage energy supplies for next winter and beyond, following the disruption of Russian gas supplies and skyrocketing energy prices. Just prior to the plenary, European Commission President von der Leyen made proposals for new joint action by European Union Member States.

Sant agreed that the price of gas must be decoupled from that set for electricity. However, he argued that the capping of energy prices would have to happen across the board, not just for natural gas from Russia. Meanwhile, there should be a total transparency as to what is being done, price-wise and via governmental action.

Temporary outright nationalisation cannot be sidelined by definition, Sant stated. Measures must be calibrated together, at all levels of the energy spectrum through government action, private sector collaboration and coordination between Member States. He questioned whether what has been proposed up to now is sufficiently comprehensive to deliver full energy security and price stabilisation.