A task force focusing on five issues is being activated at European level to restrain electricity prices, by decision of the EU Energy Ministers Council in Luxembourg last week, following a related proposal tabled in January by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

Environment & Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou and Deputy Minister Nikos Tsafos attended the Council, which decided that the task force would focus on five topics: a. Improving current infrastructure and accelerating future connectivity and related investments; b. Strengthening coordination among EU member states on long-term regional and national plans; c. Monitoring EU countries' actions on applying the action plan for affordable energy; d. Discussion of sectors with mutual interests at national level over EU policy implementation for energy, and e. Any other issue obstructing the Energy Union in which the task force could help.

In related statements to Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA-MPA), Environment & Energy Minister Stavros Papastavrou noted that the Council was "the first time Europe recognized the reality of persistent inequalities in energy prices," something that PM Mitsotakis had pointed out to the European Commission president as early as January of this year.

"The first step was to acknowledge the problem, and the time has come now for Europe to manage it effectively. And this cannot be done with 27 different policies, but with a common and realistic energy policy that is more needed than ever," Papastavrou told ANA-MPA.

The task force will hold its first meeting on the Greek region, by request of Greece, before the end of June. Its plenary session will meet in September.