BRUSSELS — Ahead of their first summit since war erupted in Iran, the European Union’s leaders agree on one thing: They need to take urgent action to stop energy prices from spiraling out of control.
But governments are split on how to deal with the problem — and whose job it is, anyway.
Some countries are demanding the European Commission take action to shield their citizens and companies from soaring fuel prices, arguing for far-reaching interventions in the EU’s environmental policy and energy markets to achieve short-term cost cuts.
Others are adamant that the EU must preserve its existing rulebook and focus on long-term measures to reduce the bloc’s dependence on expensive fossil fuels, insisting that immediate relief measures are the responsibility of national capitals.
