European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her October 6 address to the European Parliament plenary to frame energy costs as the Union’s central economic threat. She cited a 140 percent surge in gas prices and a near-doubling of diesel since late February, and proposed creating a task force to aggregate EU energy demand and jointly purchase fuel.
She also pushed back on calls for deep EU budget savings, including from Germany, arguing the budget must be able to respond to the crisis, and kept the Western Balkans enlargement file live with separate remarks the same day. The speech sets the agenda for the October 15-16 European Council but commits no legislation; joint purchasing would require Council agreement and a legal instrument.
The framing connects directly to the war-driven price environment: with Brent near $100 and European gas elevated, industrial competitiveness and household costs will dominate the summit.