The governments of Spain and Portugal are against the European Commission’s proposal to force individual member states to save on gas. That was “unsustainable,” said Portuguese Secretary of State for Environment and Energy, João Galamba. You can’t make sacrifices you haven’t been asked about, his Spanish colleague said.
“Unlike other countries, we Spaniards have not lived beyond our means when it comes to energy consumption,” said Teresa Ribera, Spain’s Minister for Ecological Transition. “We use gas out of absolute necessity,” said Portuguese Secretary of State Galamba.
The government there cannot accept the European Commission’s proposal at all because it is “unsustainable”. That said Galamba on Thursday in an interview with the newspaper “Público”. Poland is sticking to its own emergency plans, the gas storage facilities are 98 percent full. In Spain, a newspaper has already reported an “Iberian front” against the plans of the Brussels authorities.
Implementation not fixed yet
As reported, the European Commission proposed on Wednesday that binding reduction targets for gas should be possible if not enough savings are made. In concrete terms, gas consumption must be reduced by 15 percent from August 2022 to March 2023 compared to the average of the past five years.
For this to happen, at least three EU countries or the Commission must fear acute emergencies. It will be discussed from Friday and the vote on the proposal is scheduled for July 26.
Source: Krone
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.
