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Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Costa following the meeting of the European Council of October 2026
NULLPEN · Source published 10/16/2026, 11:15:55 AM UTCEuropean Commission Statement Brussels, 16 Oct 2026 We have had a long and dense European Council. Let me touch on some of the main topics, starting with European competitiveness and I will go straight into energy. Households and industry are paying the price for a war far beyond our borders. Since the start of the war in the Middle East, costs for imported fossil fuel have risen by EUR 106 billion, without a single additional molecule of energy. Gas prices have risen around 140% since late February, and diesel prices have doubled.
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