Last week, Greek, Romanian and Bulgarian authorities urged the European Commission to take action against rising wholesale electricity prices that are straining their economies and threatening energy security in southeastern Europe. They pointed to a lack of interconnection capacity, which limits energy flow during critical periods, as a key issue. The limited integration of regional electricity markets with the broader EU system has resulted in significant price discrepancies, sometimes between 50 and 100 euros/MWh.
To address these challenges, the three countries proposed short-term measures, including taxing excess profits from electricity producers and traders, with the aim of using the revenue to lower consumer costs and stabilize the market. For long-term solutions, they emphasized the need for the European Commission to prioritize the development of interconnection infrastructure in the region.