MOSCOW: European Union’s member states have agreed an emergency plan to voluntarily reduce gas consumption as a way to reduce dependence on Russian fuel and be prepared for a scenario where imports stop, reported Sputnik, quoting German news agency dpa on Tuesday.
The emergency plan presupposes a voluntary 15 per cent-cut in the consumption of natural gas consumption from August 2022 – March 2023, the report said.
The EU energy ministers will convene on Tuesday for an extraordinary EU Energy Council, which will focus on reaching a political agreement on the so-called “Save Gas for a Safe Winter” plan.
Last Wednesday the European Commission proposed a new regulation on coordinated reduction of gas use across the bloc as a way to decrease its dependence on imports and withstand the spike in prices.
The initial target of 15 per cent will start from August 1, 2022, spanning through March 31, 2023, which will save the bloc up to 45 billion cubic metres of gas according to the plan. Initially this will be voluntary, but if the goal is not reached, it may become mandatory. The proposals of the European Commission will enter into force after approval by a qualified majority of EU member states.
Several nations have already voiced their opposition to consumption cuts, including Italy, Poland, Hungary, Portugal, Greece and Spain.-Bernama
