(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, SEP 30 - EU ministers on Friday agreed
cuts to peak-hour power consumption and windfall levies on
energy companies in an urgent effort to bring down sky-high
energy prices. The decision, announced by the Czech Republic in
its role holding the EU presidency, aims to mitigate energy
costs sent soaring by Russia's war in Ukraine and as the
northern hemisphere winter looms. European households and
businesses are already staggering under surging energy bills,
fuelling record inflation that in the eurozone has hit 10
percent. Extra drama has been injected with several unexplained
leaks this week of Russia-Germany undersea gas pipelines, Nord
Stream 1 and 2, that were widely seen as "sabotage". The EU
ministers' agreement came a day after Germany -- the bloc's
export powerhouse that had long been dependent on Russian gas --
announced a 200-billion-euro (about $200 billion) energy aid
package to shield its consumers. (ANSA-AFP).
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