Greece, Poland, Malta and Belgium are the EU member states that have rejected a proposal to cap the price of gas at 275 euros per megawatt hour (MWh), as 27 energy ministers from the European bloc met today to discuss some ways to reduce energy costs.

Polish climate minister Anna Moskva said the plan is ridiculous and unacceptable because the price currently proposed is much higher than the market price.

Belgian Energy Minister Tine Van der Straten said after arriving at the talks that the text on the table is unsatisfactory and does not clearly indicate whether it will affect prices. Their Greek colleague Konstantinos Skrekas said that the limit of 150-200 euros per megawatt hour is "real".

"This can help us lower the price of gas and thus lower the price of electricity, which is a big challenge in Europe this winter," Skrekas noted.

Malta was also unhappy with the proposed price cap, with its Energy and Environment Minister Miriam Daly saying the strict conditions needed to activate the mechanism made it almost impossible.

Some 15 EU countries are seeking a cap on energy costs after gas prices hit a record high last August and Russia cut supplies to Europe following Western sanctions over Moscow's war on Ukraine.

This is opposed by a smaller but powerful camp led by the EU's largest economy - Germany.

Along with the Netherlands, Sweden, Austria and Finland, they say the limit could shift gas supplies elsewhere and reduce incentives to cut gas consumption.

The Commission proposed capping the price on the Dutch Title Transfer (TTF) gas exchange if it exceeds 275 euros/MWh for two weeks and if, at the same time, prices are 58 euros higher than the price of liquefied natural gas (LNG ) for 10 consecutive days.

Estonian Minister Rina Sikut was the only one who said that the plan is quite okay, as a temporary measure and only if it has to do with extreme price increases, but not as a permanent solution.

"Europe should still be an attractive gas market," Sikut said, adding that any measures related to fossils and gas do not solve the problem.

"We need local, affordable energy that has a low impact on the environment — and that's renewable energy," she noted.