Bill Boosting State's Powers in Energy Emergencies in Second Reading

Bratislava, September 23 (TASR) - State's powers in energy emergencies should be boosted and the Government should be allowed to determine the prices of electricity and gas during such emergencies via decrees, according to an amendment to the energy law that Parliament moved to second reading on Friday. MPs are discussing the bill in a fast-tracked legislative procedure. "The purpose of the bill is to prevent big electricity and gas price increases from having a negative impact on the most vulnerable customers through a proposal of general economic interest," explained the Economy Ministry. The amendment proposes extending the current concept of an emergency in the electricity sector so that it will include a situation in which the price of wholesale energy products on energy markets reaches very high figures for a prolonged period of time. These could make electricity unavailable to consumers and at the same time threaten the security of the state and the health and lives of a large group of electricity consumers. They could also threaten significant economic damage to electricity consumers in a defined territory. The state will be able to declare a state of emergency only on a proposal of the Economy Ministry. At the same time, it will have the power to impose corresponding measures decreed by the Economy Ministry. am/mcs