Spain’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, at the informal meeting of European Union finance ministers in Dublin on 18 September 2026, called on the European Commission to analyse possible extraordinary profits by energy companies in the current circumstances. A robust assessment was a prerequisite for deciding on a European approach to taxing such windfall profits, Cuerpo said before the talks began in Ireland. Spain is pressing, together with five other member states, for a corresponding measure to cushion the impact of high energy prices on households and businesses.
Cuerpo cited continuing uncertainty in energy markets as the reason, which was also linked to the situation in the Middle East . Only a shared, evidence-based picture of the situation would make a coordinated European response possible. According to sources in Brussels, the Commission currently has no proposal for a uniform EU-wide windfall tax . However, the Commission indicated that it was willing to provide data and discuss options. No agreement emerged in Dublin.
In addition to energy and tax issues, Cuerpo advocated a global discussion on the regulation of artificial intelligence. He proposed examining the creation of an international supervisory body or agency for artificial intelligence to establish common guidelines and standards. The debate builds on European regulatory initiatives of recent years and reflects Spain’s repeated call for coordinated responses to technological change.
The meeting in Dublin was primarily an opportunity for ministers to exchange views. The agenda included market risks, possible fiscal responses and the next steps at European level. Participants said the talks were expected to gather pace after the summer break, but no concrete decisions were planned.
Cuerpo’s initiative underscores the Spanish government’s intention to keep open the discussion on coordinated taxation of extraordinary energy profits and international rules for artificial intelligence. Whether this leads to new European Commission initiatives in the short term depends on an assessment of current profit trends in the energy sector and member states’ willingness to act together.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).