Consumers in the European Union will be better protected from strong fluctuations in electricity prices after EU ministers approved a market reform on Tuesday. The reform leads “the way for a more stable, predictable, and sustainable energy market,” said Belgian Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten in a statement. The reform is intended to insulate EU consumers from dramatic surges in electricity prices, such as those seen last year after Russia reduced fuel exports to the bloc. New long-term contracts between governments and electricity producers, under which the state would chip in if the …