Europe does not have competitive energy prices because it lacks a common energy policy and a common market, said Alessio Menegazzo, CEO & country manager of PPC Romania, on Wednesday.
“The pan-European initiative is the oldest European unification, the oldest idea of European unification, for over 100 years, and, if we analyze what opportunities we have missed, what missed crises, in the etymological sense, we have to our credit, we should feel sorry. It should give us food for thought anyway. One essential thing that we have missed in Europe in the last 50-70 years is the lack of a defense union. And we are paying the price now for this decision, not to have a European army, a decision taken 50-60 years ago, because of the situation at that time. National interest was put first before the common interest, which is obviously necessary. We should not repeat this mistake in the energy sphere, this is the message I would like to convey. What Europe lacks is a common energy market. It is not just about the necessary infrastructure. You cannot have an energy market at European level if you don’t have the necessary infrastructure, you can’t have highways if there isn’t a European highway infrastructure. More than infrastructures or connections between countries, there must be an energy flow made possible at the European Union level”, Menegazzo said at the Black Sea Forum, according to Agerpres.
The General Director of PPC Romania stressed that only efforts to achieve a common energy market at European level would bring lower prices on bills for end consumers.
“What is missing even more acutely are the policies that would create a European Energy Union, given that each country has a certain energy mix. The simple fact that there should be a mobilization for a common energy market at European level would bring extraordinary advantages for end consumers, i.e. lower prices. And, after all, it is one of the economic aspects that we all pursue. If we analyze the Draghi reports, one thing is certain: Europe is not a competitive space. Europe must give up the idea of internal competition between member states and enter into competition with other essential players on the international level – the USA, China, India. However, we need to become more competitive on European soil and an important aspect of increasing competitiveness is energy prices. We do not have competitive energy prices because we lack a common European energy policy and a common energy market in Europe, a well-known fact. Parliament is the organization where everyone expects favorable decisions to be made”, detailed the head of PPC Romania.
In this sense, Alessio Menegazzo argued that Romanian companies in the field could create regional energy clusters as part of the efforts to create a regional energy market.
“Ultimately, what is important for a company like PPC, and which applies to any company eager to become a major company in the region – and Romanian companies have an important role to play in this competition – is that we, together, can create regional energy clusters if we understand that we, all companies, I emphasize this we, must strive to establish a common energy market in Europe. The question is: can it be achieved in a month, in a year? Probably not, but we have to start somewhere. There must be initiatives to create a regional energy market. We have to start investing in infrastructure, in policies, in the region, which is largely included in the Black Sea region. “If all players in the energy market, the regulators, the market had a joint discussion, if they understood that there is a huge opportunity to increase competitiveness in this part of Europe, within the European Union, then I think we would achieve essential results very quickly,” he added.