Romania and two other European countries, Czech Republic and Greece, joined France and Spain in calling for a change to the rules governing EU energy markets as the price surge ramps up already-high utility bills.

The topic is on the agenda of the EU summit in Slovenia.

President Klaus Iohannis, attending the summit, said guidelines for countries to use in mitigating the price hikes will be unveiled within a week.

"We agreed to speed up the process, and for the European Commission to come very quickly, in a maximum of one week with an approach, with solutions, because we cannot spend the winter with rising electricity prices," the president said, quoted by News.ro.

In the meantime, the finance ministers of the five countries proposed reforming the wholesale electricity market with a view of linking end-user prices with production costs, said that the functioning of the European gas market should be investigated and stressed the need to ensure a more predictable carbon price and avoid excessive volatility.

EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, delivering a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, said that the European Commission will present a "toolbox" next week of short- and medium-term measures for countries to take.

"Direct payments to those most at risk of energy poverty, cutting energy taxes, shifting charges to general taxation, are all measures that can be taken very swiftly under EU rules," Simson told the European Parliament on October 6, Euronews reported.

(Photo: Aitor Munoz Munoz/ Dreamstime)

iulian@romania-insider.com