The twenty-seven demand that the European Council declare the energy emergency in light of a possible gas cut in Russia
Energy ministers of European countries will debate on Tuesday Brussels’ plan to save gas for the winter in light of a possible supply stop by Russia. The initiative, which proposes a voluntary 15% reduction in consumption, needs a qualified majority – 15 states – to move forward. With Spain, Portugal, Greece, Italy, Malta and Cyprus opposing the original plan, intensive negotiations are expected. According to diplomatic sources, the solution would be to adapt rationing requirements to the realities of each country and give states, not the European Commission, the ability to declare an energy emergency.
The European Union (EU) initial approach has a macroeconomic vision: it is committed to reducing consumption in order to accelerate the filling of strategic reserves and lower the price of gas. The ‘Save gas for a safe winter’ initiative aims to reduce consumption by 15% in all countries, although it allows certain exceptions, to be assessed by the Commission, where this percentage can fall to 10%.
However, the States have committed to creating a “tailor-made” plan, which, according to diplomatic sources, takes into account the particularities of the Twenty-seven. And they’ve been working on that since last Wednesday, the day Community Executive President Ursula von der Leyen presented the plan.
Spain goes to the Council of Ministers with a counter-offer, committing to export as much gas as possible to the rest of the EU in exchange for avoiding rationing. The country wants to take advantage of its position as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) hub to export this energy through the gas pipelines connecting it to France, from methane tankers or, directly, converted into electricity.
The current interconnection allows 20% of Spanish gas imports to be sent to the rest of the continent. These capacities, which according to the day are already being used to the maximum, allow the export of almost 7,000 million cubic meters of gas per year. Or what’s the same, Spain could supply about 13% of the gas needed to replenish Europe’s reserves for the winter.
Another sticking point of the plan is the European Commission’s ability to declare an energy emergency, an exceptional situation where “voluntary cuts” in gas consumption would become “mandatory measures”. This point has already been softened in the text being worked on at ambassadorial level, so that “in the event of a significant reduction in the supply of Russian gas or a total cut-off” there are five states requiring the European executive to to activate a state of emergency. In any case, the European Council, acting by a qualified majority, will have the last word.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
