A top price for energy carriers should be set, but this decision should be made at the level of the whole of Europe, the head of the Belgian government believes.

Belgium could face 5-10 "hard winters" due to the abandonment of fossil fuels, but it could also jump ahead 20 years.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo stated this, writes Nieuwsblad.

"We're in for 5 to 10 tough winters, but we can also make a 20-year leap forward by moving away from fossil fuels despite the challenges," De Croo said.

He believes that a top price for energy should be set, but this decision should be made at the level of the whole of Europe. Also, temporary measures should be taken for both citizens and entrepreneurs, reducing the pressure on them from high energy prices.

"We cannot allow companies to go bankrupt because of unpaid bills," the prime minister stressed.

De Croo also said executives at two central banks offered the option to lower mortgage payments during the winter months so people could pay their electricity bills.

Meanwhile, the European Union will continue to reduce the purchase of blue fuel from Russia. If at the beginning of the full-scale war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, the share of Russian energy resources in the EU was 40%, now it has dropped to 20%.