European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is urging countries that are less dependent on Russian gas supplies to also participate in economy efforts. “Even member states that hardly buy Russian gas cannot escape the consequences of a possible delivery stoppage in our domestic market,” she told DPA ahead of tomorrow’s special meeting of energy ministers.
The EU’s economies are closely interconnected. A gas crisis would affect all member states in one way or another. “It is therefore important that all member states reduce demand, that they all save more and share with the most affected members,” added von der Leyen. Energy solidarity is a basic principle of European treaties.
Reviews from Spain and Portugal, among others
Shortly before, Spain and Portugal, among others, had criticized a European Commission proposal for a gas emergency plan. The Portuguese government cannot accept the proposal in any way because it is “unsustainable”, said Thursday the Secretary of State for the Environment and Energy, João Galamba, in an interview with the newspaper “Público”. “We consume gas out of absolute necessity,” he assured.
On Wednesday, the Spanish minister for ecological change, Teresa Ribera, complained: “We cannot make sacrifices that we have not been asked”.
15 percent less gas
Specifically, the EU Commission’s plan calls for all EU states to voluntarily make all necessary efforts to reduce their gas consumption by at least 15% between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. The comparative value would be the average consumption in the same period of the last five years.
In the event of a real gas emergency, it should also be possible to order a reduction in consumption. According to the EU Commission, inadequate preparation for a Russian delivery freeze could result in a drop in economic output by an average of 0.9 to 1.5 percent.
“Europe must be prepared for the worst case”
“Meanwhile, Russia is supplying gas only partially or not at all in twelve member states,” said von der Leyen of the dpa. “That’s why Europe has to be prepared for the worst case scenario: a complete gas supply shutdown sooner or later.” The faster you act, the more you save – and the safer you are.