Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso has once again called for a temporary and immediate suspension of the EU ETS, citing the surge in energy prices amid the escalating Middle East conflict. “The suspension of the ETS should be considered precisely as an emergency response to the conflict, pending its revision,” Urso told a local newspaper on Monday.

A similar demand was made last month by Urso, who argued that the suspension of the ETS mechanism is needed “while waiting for a reform that must necessarily be comprehensive” in order to protect “energy-intensive companies that struggle to remain competitive.”

Italian Finance Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti also warned during a G7 meeting on Monday that Europe could face a second energy crisis “as happened in 2022,” adding that EU leaders “should consider adopting extraordinary measures, along the lines of those adopted in the aftermath of the Russian attack on Ukraine.” The Italian official also stressed the seriousness of the situation, urging authorities to “act immediately to stop energy prices before they spread to all consumer goods like in 2022.”

The European Commission is preparing a set of options for EU leaders ahead of the next European Council meeting scheduled for March 19. A document seen by Reuters states that, to deliver immediate changes, “a bridge solution may be needed to reduce energy prices in the next 2–5 years until the clean transition eases pressure on power prices.”

The document, prepared for a meeting of EU Commissioners last Friday, also highlights several network charges and taxes that contribute to higher costs, including carbon costs, “which account for around 11% of bills.”

Calls for a temporary suspension of the EU ETS have been raised before, mainly by Poland and several other Eastern European countries, during the energy crisis following the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. This time, however, amid the escalating Middle East crisis, there are growing signals that the chances of political intervention may be higher. Any potential measure would likely be framed as a targeted, crisis-specific response rather than a permanent retreat from the EU’s climate ambitions.