The European Commission proposed this Wednesday a 15% gas consumption reduction target in the European Union (EU) for spring, when a cut in Russian supply is feared, admitting to proceed with a mandatory reduction in demand in the face of an alert.
In a package published on “saving gas for a safe winter”, the community executive points out that “the EU faces the risk of further cuts in Russian gas supplydue to the Kremlin’s militarization of gas exports, with nearly half of member states already affected by reduced deliveries.”
Acting now can reduce both the risk and the costs for Europe in the event of a major or total outage, strengthening Europe’s energy resilience and the Commission is therefore today proposing a new legislative instrument and a European Energy Demand Reduction Plan. Gas, to reduce the use of gas in Europe by 15% by next spring”, announces the institution.
Noting that “all consumers, public administrations, families, owners of public buildings, energy providers and industry can and should take measures to save gas”, the European Commission stresses that it will also “accelerate the work of diversifying supply, including the purchase of gas to improve the EU’s ability to obtain alternative gas supplies”.
As the Lusa agency had already advanced this Tuesday, the European Commission is expected to declare a state of emergency in the European Union (EU) in the face of a possible cut in the supply of Russian gas, with rationing and the reduction of the flow to be measures of last resource.
Ukraine. Brussels could declare community or regional emergency before Russian gas cut
This particular regional alert situation is already foreseen in the current regulations on security of gas supply, which emerged after previous energy crises and which foresees three levels of national crises (early warning, alert and emergency), but what Brussels now proposes a new regulation on coordinated measures to reduce gas demand.
The new regulation would set a target for all Member States to reduce gas demand by 15% between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023. The new regulation would also give the Commission the possibility to declare, after consultation to the Member States, an alert from the Union on the security of supply, imposing a mandatory reduction in gas demand on all countries”, affirms the institution.
Specifically, the Union alert “may be activated when there is a substantial risk of serious gas shortages or exceptionally high gas demand”, provided that, in this scenario, “Member States update their national emergency plans before the end of the year”. September to show how they intend to meet the reduction target, and they must report to the Commission on the progress made every two months.
“Member states requesting solidarity in gas supply will have to demonstrate the measures they have taken to reduce domestic demand,” says Brussels.
The European Commission also announces the European Gas Demand Reduction Plan, with measures, principles and criteria for the coordinated reduction of demand, which establishes the substitution of gas for other fuels and the global energy savings in all sectors.
The goal is to “safeguard the supply to households and essential users such as hospitals, but also industries that are decisive for the supply of essential products and services for the economy and for the EU’s supply chains and competitiveness,” says the European Commission.
Geopolitical tensions over the war in Ukraine have affected the European energy market, since the EU imports 90% of the gas it consumes, Russia is responsible for about 45% of these imports.at different levels between the Member States.
In Portugal, Russian gas represented, in 2021, less than 10% of the total imported.
Source: Observadora
