The war in Iran has cost the European Union member states over 100 billion euros, said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez upon his arrival for the European Council meeting in Brussels. According to him, the financial burden is mainly related to the consequences of the energy crisis.
Sanchez warned that rising energy prices are increasing the pressure on the cost of living of European households and undermining the competitiveness of EU businesses.
“Illegal and unjustified“ wars that violate international law, he called the conflicts in Ukraine and Iran. The Spanish Prime Minister linked them to the rise in energy prices and its impact on citizens, businesses and public finances.
Comparison with agricultural spending
Sánchez compared the amount of over 100 billion euros with the European Union's annual spending on agriculture. In doing so, he highlighted the scale of the financial consequences that, in his opinion, the war in Iran is already having on the European economy.
The data cited by the Spanish Prime Minister were not presented with an additional breakdown by country or by individual items. It is also not clear from his statement how much of the amount relates to higher energy costs and how much to other economic effects.
Energy and the Middle East on the agenda
Among the topics of the European Council meeting are energy prices, migration, renewable energy and ongoing conflicts. The official agenda also includes the situation in the Middle East, with special attention being paid to freedom of navigation and security of energy supplies.
European leaders are to discuss measures to limit the impact of high energy prices on citizens and businesses, as well as longer-term actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. The talks are taking place against the backdrop of warnings of pressure on households and production in EU countries.
Sources: news.bg, europapress.es, apnews.com