Portugal did not accept the proposal presented this Wednesday by the European Commission to reduce gas consumption in the European Union (EU) by 15% until next spring, when a cut in Russian supply is feared, inform Público and Expresso.
The objective was proposed in Brussels with the aim of reducing Europe’s dependence on gas supplied by Russia, with the European Commission admitting the possibility of moving forward with a mandatory reduction in demand in the event of an alert. “The EU faces the risk of further gas supply cuts from Russia, due to the Kremlin’s militarization of gas exports, with almost half of member states already affected by reduced deliveries,” the Commission said. European.
The European Commission proposes as a target to reduce the use of gas by 15% from August and for the spring
In statements to Público, the Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy, João Galamba, said that the Portuguese Government “does not accept” the proposal, which he described as “unsustainable” and “disproportionate.” According to Galamba, Brussels ignores the fact that Portugal does not have interconnections with the rest of Europe and that gas consumption is destined fundamentally for industry and electricity production.
“The whole logic of solidarity rationing presupposes interconnected systems and it seems that the European Commission has forgotten this reality,” the Secretary of State told Público, considering it a caricature that “a country that has been harmed for years and years by not having interconnections” and that “you always had to buy the most expensive gas” is “called for a solidarity mechanism that presupposes interconnections”.
“Portugal will oppose” the approval of an “unsustainable” and “disproportionate” measure, declared João Galamba. “We are using gas out of absolute necessity,” the minister stressed.
Spain rejects proposal to reduce gas consumption by 15% in the EU
The Spanish government was also against the measure of the European Commission. At a press conference, the Third Vice President and Minister for the Ecological Transition of Spain, Teresa Ribera, declared that Spain defends “European values”, but that the country cannot “assume a sacrifice on which they did not even ask us for an opinion” . ”. previous”.
Ribera considered that the idea “is not necessarily the most effective, nor the most efficient, nor the fairest”. “No matter what happens, Spanish families will not suffer gas or electricity cuts in their homes,” he added, insisting that Spain will also “defend the position” of its industry.
Source: Observadora
