The prime minister told the European Council that the conclusions do not reflect the urgency of the situation created by rising energy prices.
We need greater flexibility within the existing fiscal framework to provide targeted, tailored and temporary support for vulnerable households and businesses, he said, according to government sources. These measures should be funded by the portion of the increase in public revenue resulting from higher inflation, while ensuring fiscal sustainability.
"We need to bridge the gap between the need to act and our ability to do so," he stressed.
He also underlined the urgent need to review key features of the Emissions Trading System (ETS). Although the ETS should remain a key pillar of the EU’s decarbonisation strategy, it cannot operate as if conditions had not changed since its adoption.