Chinese stocks closed lower on Thursday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index down 0.32 percent to 4,093.25 points.
The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.88 percent lower at 15,043.45 points.
The combined turnover of the two indices totaled 2.8 trillion yuan (about 408.5 billion U.S. dollars), expanding from 2.56 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.
Precious metals, minor metals, and PET copper foil sectors were among the top decliners, while liquor, coal mining and processing, and oil and gas extraction led the gains.
The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, lost 0.87 percent to close at 3,720.25 points Thursday.
The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 1.81 percent lower at 1,840.6 points.
Chinese shares close lower Thursday
The European Commission proposed a package of measures on Wednesday in the hope to protect European households and industries from energy crisis and accelerate the shift to clean and homegrown energy.
In a statement, the commission said that, for the second time in less than five years, Europeans were paying the price of Europe's dependency on imported fossil fuels. Since the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, the European Union (EU) has spent an additional 24 billion euros on energy imports due to higher prices, without receiving any extra energy.
The package, called "AccelerateEU," includes both short-term and structural measures to reduce dependence on volatile fossil fuel markets and strengthen Europe's resilience through homegrown clean energy and electrification.
According to the commission, the proposed actions include closer coordination among members on refilling underground gas storage, the use of flexibilities in filling rules, and any exceptional releases of oil stocks. A new Fuel Observatory will also be established to track EU production, imports, exports and stock levels of transport fuels.
The commission said measures to protect consumers and industry from price hikes may include targeted income support schemes, energy vouchers, social leasing schemes and lower excise duties on electricity for vulnerable households. It also said it would adopt a State Aid Temporary Framework to give national governments additional flexibility to support the most exposed economic sectors.
The commission said it would present an Electrification Action Plan by the summer, including an electrification target and measures to remove barriers in the industrial, transport and building sectors. It also said it would present a legislative proposal on network charges and taxation to ensure that electricity is taxed less than fossil fuels.
The commission said the measures would be discussed by EU leaders at the informal European Council in Cyprus on April 23 and 24.
EU proposes measures to address energy crisis
