Surging gas and electricity prices in Europe have intensified the political backlash against Brussels’ plans to extend carbon taxes on petrol and heating bills, threatening a central policy of the EU’s drive to hit net zero emissions by 2050.
EU energy ministers will meet in Slovenia on Wednesday to discuss Europe’s record energy costs, which have prompted some governments to prepare billions of euros worth of emergency aid for struggling households.
The price squeeze has emboldened countries such as Spain and France that are firmly opposed to the planned revamp of the EU’s carbon pricing system. They say it will plunge poorer households further into energy poverty by raising household and petrol bills.