Capping the price of gas that Norway supplies to European countries seeking an alternative to Russian gas is a matter of “solidarity between allies”, MEP Pascal Canfin said on Sunday.
While the European Union is looking for a way to do without gas from Russia, “negotiations are underway with Norway to lower the price of the gas we buy from the Norwegians. Since we have greatly reduced our purchases of Russian gas, today Today the main gas supplier in Europe is Norway”, said on France Inter the president of the Environment committee in the European Parliament, who hopes “a landing this week” on this subject.
“We share almost everything with Norway, values, democracy, opposition to Putin … except the income (from gas, editor’s note). Because it costs us around 100 billion euros in go and buy gas in Norway, and they get money from it. So it is quite legitimate to agree on a maximum price,” said the former French minister.
For him, “we Europeans are always asked to show solidarity… Fine, but do we have the right from time to time to demand that our partners show solidarity with us? This is a historic moment: we need Norway, the leading gas supplier, and Europe, the leading customer, to show solidarity. So negotiations are underway, I don’t know if it’s going to work, the objective is to have a maximum price”.
And the Deputy Secretary General of the French Renaissance presidential party added: “The next country is Algeria, of which we are now a very large gas customer. It will be more difficult, but I think this discussion must take place. And then the United States, the same”.
Oslo, through the voice of its prime minister, previously said it was “skeptical” about this price cap.