Energy ministers from the EU's 27 nations huddled in Brussels Monday to discuss how to help families and businesses as the Iran war sends energy prices soaring.
The meeting laid the groundwork for a Thursday summit of EU leaders that will seek to address the issue -- though the bloc has a limited number of tools at its disposal.
kAmw6C6 2C6 D@>6 724EDik^Am
k9am\ r@F?EC:6D C6DA@?5 \Â k^9am
kAm|6>36C DE2E6D C6E2:? 2 =2C86 568C66 @7 :?56A6?56?46 7C@> qCFDD6=D :? :?7=F6?4:?8 C6E2:= 6?6C8J AC:46D[ 2?5 D@>6 92G6 2=C625J >@G65 E@ 4@?E2:? E96 72==@FE 7C@> 4@?7=:4E :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE]k^Am
kAmrC@2E:2 2?5 wF?82CJ 92G6 2??@F?465 7F6= AC:46 42AD 2?5 vC6646 :D E@ 42A AC@7:E >2C8:?D @? 82D@=:?6]k^Am
kAmt& 6?6C8J 49:67 s2? y@C86?D6? E9:D H66< FC865 t& 8@G6C?>6?ED E@ =@H6C E2I6D 2?5 =6G:6D @? 6?6C8J H96C6 A@DD:3=6 \\ 3FE E92E C6BF:C6D D@>6 3F586E =66H2J]k^Am
kAmx? uC2?46[ 6?6C8J 8:2?E %@E2=t?6C8:6D 2??@F?465 2 AC:46 42A @? 82D@=:?6[ 7@==@H:?8 AC6DDFC6 7C@> E96 4@F?ECJVD 42D9\DEC2AA65 8@G6C?>6?E E92E 92D DE6AA65 FA AC:46 4964<D 2E 82D DE2E:@?D]Â k^Am
kAm|62?H9:=6 E96 ba >6>36CD @7 E96 x?E6C?2E:@?2= t?6C8J p86?4J 92G6 28C665 E@ F?=@4< c__ >:==:@? 32CC6=D @7 @:= 7C@> C6D6CG6D \\ E96:C =2C86DE C6=62D6 6G6C \\ :? 2 3:5 E@ 62D6 AC:46D]Â k^Am
k9am\ t=64EC:4:EJ >2C<6EÂ 5632E6 \k^9am
kAmx? tFC@A6 E96 AC:46 @7 6=64EC:4:EJ :D 56E6C>:?65 3J AC@5F4E:@? 4@DED @7 E96 =2DE A@H6C A=2?E 42==65 FA@? E@ >66E 56>2?5]Â k^Am
kAm%92E E6?5D E@ 36 4962A6C C6?6H23=6 @C ?F4=62C A=2?ED H96? 56>2?5 :D =@H 2?5 AC:4:6C 82D A@H6C DE2E:@?D H96? :E :D 9:89]k^Am
kAmQpD =@?8 2D H6 2C6 7@C465 E@ C6=J @? E96C>2= A@H6C A=2?ED 5FC:?8 A62< 9@FCD[ E96 >2C8:?2= AC:46 H:== 2=H2JD 36 56E6C>:?65 3J 7@DD:= 7F6=D[Q D2:5 |2C4 q2F5CJ[ 2? 64@?@>:DE 2E E96 !2C:D s2FA9:?6 &?:G6CD:EJ]k^Am
kAm%96 4C:D:D 92D C6G2>A65 42==D 7C@> xE2=J 2?5 @E96CD 7@C 492?86D E@ E96 t&VD 6=64EC:4:EJ >2C<6E[ H9:49 H2D =2DE C67@C>65 E@ C65F46 6IA@DFC6 E@ 82D AC:46 G@=2E:=:EJ :? a_ac]k^Am
kAmtFC@A62? r@>>:DD:@? !C6D:56?E &CDF=2 G@? 56C {6J6? D2:5 E9:D H66< qCFDD6=D H2D Q6IA=@C:?8 DF3D:5:D:?8 @C 42AA:?8 E96 82D AC:46Q FD65 E@ 42=4F=2E6 6=64EC:4:EJ 4@DED]k^Am
kAmqFE 2 D:>:=2C >2C<6E 4@CC64E:@? >6492?:D> :?EC@5F465 27E6C #FDD:2VD :?G2D:@? @7 &<C2:?6 :? a_aa H2D ?6G6C 24E:G2E65 5F6 E@ E96 DEC:4E 4@?5:E:@?D 7@C 5@:?8 D@]k^Am
kAmp?5 4C:E:4D D2J E96 >2:? C62D@? A@H6C :? tFC@A6 :D 23@FE E9C66 E:>6D >@C6 6IA6?D:G6 E92? :? E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :D E96 4@?E:?6?EVD =24< @7 7@DD:= 7F6= C6D@FC46D \\ H9:49 7@C46D :E E@ C6=J @? 6IA6?D:G6 :>A@CED]Â k^Am
kAmw6?46 E96 4@>>:DD:@?VD AFD9 E@ 5642C3@?:D6 :?5FDECJ[ 2?5 3@@DE C6?6H23=6D]k^Am
k9am\ r2C3@? AC:4:?8Â DE2?5@77 \Â k^9am
kAmq24<65 3J D@>6 46?EC2= tFC@A62? ?2E:@?D[ xE2=J :D 2=D@ 42==:?8 7@C 2 C67@C> 2?5 6G6? 2 DFDA6?D:@? @7 E96 t&VD 42C3@? EC25:?8 D496>6[ H9:49 @3=:86D 962GJ A@==FE6CD E@ 3FJ A6C>:ED]k^Am
kAmrC:E:4D[ :?4=F5:?8 A2CED @7 tFC@A62? :?5FDECJ[ =2>6?E E96 DJDE6> 4@?EC:3FE6D E@ 9:89 6?6C8J 3:==D \\ 2D 82D\7:C65 A=2?ED ?665 E@ A2J FA E@ 4@G6C E96:C A=2?6E\H2C>:?8 6>:DD:@?D]k^Am
kAmuC66 6>:DD:@? 2==@H2?46D 2==@42E65 E@ 62D6 E96 8C66? EC2?D:E:@? 2C6 36:?8 A92D65 @FE 3J a_bc] $@>6 H@F=5 =:<6 E96> E@ DE2J]k^Am
kAmqCFDD6=D :D 2=C625J AC6A2C:?8 AC@A@D2=D 7@C 2 C67@C> @7 E96 a_\J62C\@=5 42C3@? >2C<6E D496>6 =2E6C E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmx? 2 |@?52J =6EE6C E@ >6>36C DE2E6D 29625 @7 2 =6256CDV DF>>:E @? %9FCD52J[ G@? 56C {6J6? D2:5 qCFDD6=D H2D Q2446=6C2E:?8 @FC H@C<Q @? E96 C6G:D:@?[ Q?@E23=J E@ D6E @FE 2 >@C6 C62=:DE:4 5642C3@?:D2E:@? EC2;64E@CJ 36J@?5 a_b_Q]k^Am
kAmt:89E 4@F?EC:6D[ :?4=F5:?8 $H656?[ $A2:?[ 2?5 E96 }6E96C=2?5D[ AFD965 324< 282:?DE 42==D 7@C C67@C> E9:D H66<[ H2C?:?8 E92E Q>2<:?8 7F?52>6?E2= 492?86DQ E@ 2 Q4@C?6CDE@?6 @7 E96 t&VD 4=:>2E6 A@=:4JQ H@F=5 C6AC6D6?E 2 QG6CJ H@CCJ:?8 DE6A 324<H2C5DQ]k^Am
kAmw62GJH6:89E uC2?46 92D DECF4< 2 >:55=6\8C@F?5 A@D:E:@?[ 42==:?8 7@C E96 CF=6D E@ 36 >256 >@C6 7=6I:3=6 H:E9@FE 4@>AC@>:D:?8 E96 Q:?E68C:EJQ @7 E96 42C3@? >2C<6E D496>6]k^Am
kAm254^F3^64^8:Gk^Am