Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on the EU to examine new ways to reduce gas and electricity prices, as part of a broader effort to boost the competitiveness of the continent. 

"Values tell us that we need to move faster but also differently - to think of new ways to fight the problems we face," Mitsotakis said, while urging the EU to better integrate the energy networks of each member state, adding that new initiatives are needed for gas security.

"The changes in the geopolitical landscape make this task even more urgent," and although Europe is preparing for a future where gas will play a smaller role, "we will depend on it for at least two decades," the Greek prime minister stressed in his letter to the head of the European Commission.

The EU should also empower European companies to invest in gas projects and infrastructure and sign contracts guaranteeing access to global supplies, according to Mitsotakis, while on the electricity front, he called for the creation of a special group to increase cross-border flows to where there are significant price disparities and the EU.

He also called for the EU's long-term planning process for energy networks to be re-established, and stressed that the bloc must rein in the costs that come from over-regulation of emissions. Bloomberg recalls that Greece has sought to strengthen its position as an energy import gateway with investments in LNG terminals, pipelines and power lines.

"Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was one of the biggest supporters of Ursula von der Leyen's re-election as commission president and one of the two leaders who signed her nomination letter on behalf of the European People's Party," the paper concludes.