Statement by President von der Leyen at the joint press conference with President Costa following the meeting of the European Council of October 2026

European Commission Statement Brussels, 16 Oct 2026 We have had a long and dense European Council. Let me touch on some of the main topics, starting with European competitiveness and I will go straight into energy. Households and industry are paying the price for a war far beyond our borders. Since the start of the war in the Middle East, costs for imported fossil fuel have risen by EUR 106 billion, without a single additional molecule of energy. Gas prices have risen around 140% since late February, and diesel prices have doubled.