EU Aims to Control Russian Natural Gas Prices

EU Aims to Control Russian Natural Gas Prices

The European Union has proposed price controls on Russian gas. The group made the proposal Wednesday after President Vladimir Putin threatened to halt all energy supplies if the EU took such a step.

The price dispute raises the possibility of energy rationing² in some of the world's richest countries this winter.

The rising tensions could cause European gas prices to rise even more. EU governments are planning to spend billions of dollars to support energy providers and to prevent citizens from going without heat this winter.

Europe has accused Russia of using energy supplies as a weapon in response to Western sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Russia blames those sanctions for causing the gas supply problem, which it says is a result of damaged pipelines⁴.

Putin has said that energy contracts could be canceled if price limits are put in place. He also warned that gas supplies could be frozen.

But the EU plans to move ahead with price limits on Russian gas. The EU is also controlling the price of electricity from generators⁶ that do not use natural gas.

EU energy ministers plan to hold an emergency meeting on Friday.

Ursula von der Leyen is the European Commission President. She told reporters: "We will propose a price cap on Russian gas... We must cut Russia's revenues which Putin uses to finance this atrocious war in Ukraine."

Putin said Russia would react to price caps by cutting off supplies.

"We will not supply anything at all if it contradicts our interests,"Putin said at an economic meeting in Eastern Russia. "We will not supply gas, oil, coal, heating oil - we will not supply anything."

Europe usually imports about 40 percent of its gas and 30 percent of its oil from Russia.

Disagreement in EU

There were signs of division among EU members over the plan to control prices. A Czech minister said it should not be discussed during Friday's meeting, saying it would not be helpful.

"It is not a constructive⁷ proposal... It is more another way to sanction Russia than an actual solution to the energy crisis in Europe," Minister Jozef Sikela said. The Czech Republic is helping⁸ to guide discussions as the current holders⁹ of the EU's presidency¹⁰.

Eurelectric is a group representing the European electricity industry. It criticized plans for a cap of 200 euros per megawatt hour on the price of electricity from generators that do not run on gas. A megawatt hour is a measure of electrical power.

Kristian Ruby¹¹ is the Secretary General of Eurelectric. Instead of price limits, he said EU governments should deal with the gas supply shortages and Europe's dependency on fossil fuels.

Europe's energy crisis has gotten more severe after an additional supply cut by Russia's state-owned Gazprom. The company fully¹² suspended gas supplied through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline³ to Germany. Gazprom had said it found an engine leak in the pipeline last week.

Putin has rejected claims that Russia was using gas as a weapon. He said Western sanctions were affecting the supply of replacement¹³ parts. He said a shortage of parts was to blame for the pipeline not being operational.

Words in This Story

ration¹ — v. a set amount of something that the government lets you have because there is not enough of it

sanctions — n. (pl.) measures meant to force a country to obey international law by limiting or stopping trade with that country

generator⁵ — n. a company that creates electricity

cap — n. a limit on the price a seller can ask a buyer to pay

atrocious — adj. very bad, very evil or cruel

contradict — v. to not agree with

megawatt (hour) — n. a measure of electrical power equal to one million watts¹⁴ (during a period of time)

fossil fuel — n. a carbon-based fuel such as coal, oil or natural gas

1 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

2 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

3 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

4 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

5 generator   

n.发电机，发生器

参考例句：

• All the while the giant generator poured out its power.巨大的发电机一刻不停地发出电力。
• This is an alternating current generator.这是一台交流发电机。

6 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

10 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

11 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

12 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

13 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

14 watts   

（电力计量单位）瓦，瓦特( watt的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• My lamp uses 60 watts; my toaster uses 600 watts. 我的灯用60瓦，我的烤面包器用600瓦。
• My lamp uses 40 watts. 我的灯40瓦。