Brussels, Sept. 28, 2026 (Lusa) - Speaking in Brussels on Monday, the Portuguese Energy Minister called on the European Union (EU) to play a «more active role» in the current fuel crisis, advocating for a coordinated EU response that takes into account the different circumstances of the member states.
«We hope that Europe will play a more active role in this crisis, as it did during the 2022 crisis – following the invasion of Ukraine – in several areas. One of these is aid, and the other is the coordination of measures taken at member state level to preserve the integrity of the internal market and reduce competition issues,» said Maria da Graça Carvalho.
Speaking to Portuguese journalists in Brussels following meetings with European Commission officials, the minister added that she hoped «the Commission would adopt the same approach» as during the previous crisis, particularly in coordinating the measures adopted by EU countries and in providing support to the affected sectors.
In Portugal, the industries most affected are those that face the greatest difficulties in replacing gas with electricity, such as ceramics and glass.
One of the risks identified by the minister is that of an uneven response across member states, given that the relaxation of European rules on state aid allows for support to be provided to companies and sectors affected by rising prices, but may also create disparities within the EU's single market due to differences in member states' budgetary capacities.
«It is essential, for the sake of the internal market's integrity, that there be coordination at European level of the various support measures, as there was during the 2022 crisis,» she insisted.
The European Commission has been monitoring national measures and advocates temporary, targeted support for the sectors most affected by the energy crisis, having relaxed the rules on state aid.
Maria da Graça Carvalho nevertheless considered that the current energy crisis differs from that of 2022, since, on this occasion, the main problem for Portugal lies not in the price of electricity or domestic heating, but above all in the rise in the prices of transport fuels and, increasingly, in the gas used by industry.
Last Friday, the European Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jørgensen, called in a letter sent to EU energy ministers for them to adopt measures to reduce gas and electricity consumption «for as long as necessary», in light of pressure on the energy markets and the approach of winter.
However, «this reality is not reflected in the Commissioner's letter», criticised Maria da Graça Carvalho, arguing that the letter focuses on reducing electricity and gas consumption for heating.
When asked about the possibility of setting new mandatory consumption reduction targets, as happened during the 2022 crisis, the minister ruled out this possibility: «I do not advocate that».
The European Commission, for its part, has identified demand reduction and energy efficiency as key tools for easing pressure on the markets.
When asked about a possible call for remote working, the minister said that a general measure «would have to be discussed in the Cabinet, involving the prime minister and the minister of labour».
«But we are monitoring the situation and seeing how it develops,» she concluded.
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