Reuters reported that the appeal was made in a joint letter signed by the finance ministers of Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Austria, who said the measure would demonstrate EU unity and help ease the burden on consumers. The call comes as member states adopt uneven responses to the energy shock, with some Central and Eastern European countries moving quickly to cap fuel prices and cut taxes, while others have taken more limited steps. France has meanwhile announced loans of up to 50,000 euros for small businesses hit by rising fuel costs. The proposal echoes the EU’s emergency profit measures introduced after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.