The EU countries agreed on an emergency plan on Tuesday evening to save gas. They thus accept the European Commission’s proposal, although more exceptions are possible than in the first draft. In addition, the hurdles have been taken to introduce the mandatory targets.
A few hours before a meeting of energy ministers, EU countries agreed on a contingency plan to save gas, as diplomats confirmed. National consumption must be voluntarily reduced by 15 percent between August 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023. In addition, the plan also provides that an alarm can be raised at supply bottlenecks, which in turn leads to binding savings targets. Compared to the first draft of the European Commission, more exceptions are now possible. In addition, the thresholds have been raised so that the goals can be implemented in the first place. Only the Council of the Member States should be able to specify this, not the Commission.
Hungary has made its reservation
The decision on the revised plan is expected to begin on Tuesday. According to diplomats, the necessary majority could easily be obtained, as the consultations showed that most countries wanted to save gas. Solidarity is considered very important. Hungary and three other Member States have entered reservations.
Gewessler: Gas consumption is falling due to prices
Austria will be represented at the meeting by the Minister of Climate Protection, Leonore Gewessler (Greens). On Monday evening she pointed out in the “ZiB2” that gas consumption in Germany had already fallen by ten percent due to the high prices. Austria is also well on its way to meeting the storage target.
Russian gas company Gazprom announced on Monday that it would further reduce supplies via the Nord Stream 1 Baltic Sea pipeline. As of Wednesday, 20 percent or 33 million cubic meters of gas will flow through the pipeline to Germany every day. The reason, according to the company, is the repair of another turbine.
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.
