According to diplomats, the EU has agreed to create an emergency plan to reduce gas consumption as a preparation for Russia’s complete blockade of supply.
The proposal of the European Commission was criticized by many EU governments due to the fact that Russia’s dependence is different between countries.
According to sources, members will be required to reduce their natural gas consumption by 15% during the Emergency Plan. This is expected to take effect between March 2023 and August 2022.
It is hoped that the measure will be of benefit to others. “to soften the impact of a potential total stoppage in Russian gas supplies,”DPA.
Diplomats indicated that the plan would likely be approved at a meeting of EU energy ministers in Brussels on Tuesday.
Kadri SIMSON, European Union’s chief of energy policy, said that she expected ministers to come to an agreement on gas rationing when she arrived in Brussels.
She argued that Russian gas giant Gazprom’s announcement that gas supply to the EU would be cut further this week due to the need to fix a turbine on the Nord Stream 1 pipeline was “politically motivated.”
“We know that there is no technical reason to do so… And exactly for that reason, the pre-emptive reduction of our gas demand is a wise strategy,”Simson insisted.
These are the so-called “Save Gas for a Safe Winter”The European Commission had made the proposal a week earlier. All EU member countries were urged to cut their consumption of gas by 15%. They should switch to renewable energy and even oil or coal.
This idea sparked protests in the bloc, particularly in south Europe. Spanish minister of ecological transition claimed that the plan was legal. “not necessarily the most effective nor the most efficient nor the most just,”It was slammed by the Portuguese secretary to state for energy and environment. “unsustainable”And “disproportionate.”
France, Greece, Italy and Hungary were all among the nations that spoke out against the cuts.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, defended Monday’s plan. She insists that the bloc is still in place “must be prepared for the worst-case scenario: a complete halt to gas supplies, sooner or later.”
DPA interviewed her about Moscow. “not a reliable partner for Europe’s energy supply,”You can claim that “Gazprom has deliberately kept its storage levels low.”Von der Leyen stated that the company had cut down or stopped supply to 12 EU members states.
Von Der Leyen expressed confidence that the EU energy ministers would support the plan, as they “understand their responsibility” to see Europe safely through the winter.
Russian President Vladimir Putin denied claims last week that EU gas supplies might be completely cut off. Despite tensions in relations between Moscow and Brussels over Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, Gazprom was “ready to pump as much as necessary,”It was, however, the EU that did it. “closed everything themselves,”He argued.
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