Electricity costs rise: Spain pushes EU oil tax

Electricity prices climbed in summer, and Spain is pressing Brussels for a European Union-wide oil tax rather than trying to force one through parliament alone. Energy Secretary Joan Groizard set out the case in Gatika, Biscay, on 21 September, during a visit to work on the electricity link with France through the Bay of Biscay. He said a shared approach would stop national measures from splitting the EU single market.

Spain and other member states have sent several letters to the European Commission asking it to examine and develop tools that could work across the bloc. Groizard said Spain had struggled to win enough parliamentary support for earlier taxes on oil-company profits.

The minister also said Spain enters the latest energy-price pressure in a stronger position than during the crisis triggered by Russia's war in Ukraine. He credited the country's investment in renewable energy, while acknowledging that gas prices pushed electricity prices sharply higher over the summer.

Spain is monitoring prices closely and will put forward whatever measures are needed to protect consumers, Groizard said. He added that EU crisis rules have changed since the last energy shock, creating a framework that can guide — and potentially limit — national responses.

Topics: Health · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com