Lithuania and 14 other EU countries, on the eve of the meeting in Brussels on Friday of the ministers of transport and energy of the European Union, are calling on the European Commission to propose setting a "ceiling" for gas prices, reports the BNS agency with reference to the letter of the ministers of these 15 countries to the European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Sim.

 In their opinion, it is necessary to solve the most serious problem - the wholesale price of gas.

 "A price ceiling, which has been requested by an increasing number of Member States from the outset, is the only measure that will help each Member State to moderate inflationary pressures, manage expectations and create a base for possible supply disruptions, as well as limit additional profits in this sector", the text of the letter states.

 The restriction, according to ministers, should apply to all deals, not just imports from specific countries, and should be such as to ensure security of supply and the free flow of gas in Europe.

 "This upper limit is a priority and can be supplemented by proposals to strengthen financial supervision of the gas market and develop alternative standards for gas price determination in Europe," the letter says.

 The authors of the letter call on the European Commissioner to submit a proposal for discussion at an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers of Transport, Telecommunications and Energy of the EU on Friday.

 The Lithuanian Energy Ministry said on Wednesday that the joint appeal was signed by Belgium, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, Spain, Croatia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal, France, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia. According to the ministry, other EU countries can join it.