Following the pandemic, we are again going through unprecedented challenges at a regional and global level. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has accentuated the supply-chains disruptions that were triggered by the pandemic in conjunction with a level of food and energy inflation which the world only experienced more than four decades ago.

Yet, the real crisis is potentially still ahead of us and it goes beyond exaggerated energy costs. Europe is facing a real prospect of an energy supply crisis.

Judging by Russia’s evident reluctance to provide the agreed supply through Nord Stream 1, one is justified to prepare for the worst as winter approaches and demand for energy increases.

Amid Russia’s threats, the EU is scrambling to find solutions in the face of a situation that may leave millions of citizens without electricity in the coldest and harshest months.

This is why the European Commission proposed a reduction for every single country’s demand for energy by nothing short of 15 per cent. This will allow countries to prepare themselves for the eventuality of a Russian decision to halt supply.

During my time as MEP and vice president of the Socialists and Democrats Group, I called on the EU to push and invest heavily in renewable energy, a clean energy source that would help not only islands like ours meet their emission reductions and increase security of supply but would also help nations gain their energy independence.

It is with this backdrop that our commitment to protect people first remains steadfast.

Hence why we made sure to advance Malta’s position for an exemption from the mandatory 15 per cent energy reduction that the European Commission proposed. We negotiated hard and we convinced that our situation required a total exemption from any mandatory reduction targets.

The real crisis is potentially still ahead of us- Miriam Dalli

It is a real pity that, even on such circumstances of national importance, the Maltese opposition preferred to take a populist stand which reflects a lack of a basic level of understanding on how European negotiations take place at a technical level and how a draft can be changed multiple times in the shortest of hours.

Malta, Cyprus and Ireland secured an exemption from the mandatory gas use reduction. The version that was made public imposed a mandatory percentage reduction, but we successfully made the case why any mandatory reduction would be detrimental to households and businesses for an island totally disconnected from the European gas network.

Our stand at European level is an evolution of our price stability policy which is proving to be critical in mitigating people from the worst effects of inflation. Had we not taken this decision, Maltese citizens and businesses could be paying a rate close to €0.65c for every unit of electricity consumed against a starting rate of €0.10c.

No other country in Europe managed to keep electricity and fuel prices stable throughout these uncertain times. Some of our European peers are facing double-digit inflationary figures fuelled by soaring energy costs.

This does not mean that this is business as usual. These are extraordinary times, and we shall all be cognisant of our common responsibility, not just as a nation but even as individuals. Gas prices are driving energy costs to levels never seen before. The lack of supply can cripple Europe in the months to come.

This is precisely why we need to pursue and accelerate our commitment towards energy efficiency and cleaner energy sources that would reduce our dependency on foreign gas.

In this context, in the coming weeks, the Regulator for Energy and Water Services will launch the bid for medium to large scale renewable energy projects that will support our energy vision.

At a regional level it is imperative that the EU supports innovative renewable energy projects to attract investment across all sea basins, including the Mediterranean, to tap in a renewed potential offered by floating technologies.  Hence, why we insist that priority should be given to switching to renewable sources.

The road ahead is challenging but that does not diminish our ambition to move forward in the interest of our citizens and our country. When presented with a challenge, we work harder to achieve the best results possible.

Miriam Dalli is Minister for Environment, Energy and Enterprise.