Member States have agreed to reduce their gas needs by 15% compared to the average consumption over the last five years, in the period from August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 r., by means of their choice.
There is consent of EU countries to reduce gas demand by 15%
While all EU countries will do their best to meet the reductions, the Council has identified some exemptions and options for a derogation from the mandatory reduction target to reflect the specific situation of Member States and to ensure effective gas reductions and increase security of supply in the EU.
Reduction target background
The EU faces a potential security of supply crisis with significantly reduced gas supplies from Russia and a serious risk of a total halt for which Member States must immediately prepare in a coordinated manner and in a spirit of solidarity. While not all Member States currently face serious threats to their security of supply, severe disruptions in some Member States are sure to affect the entire EU economy.
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It complements existing EU initiatives and legislation, in particular Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 on the security of gas supply, which ensure that citizens can benefit from a secure gas supply and protect consumers from severe supply disruptions.
This regulation follows on from other initiatives already under way to improve the resilience and security of gas supply in the EU, including the gas storage regulation, the creation of an EU energy platform for joint purchasing and measures listed in REPowerEU.
The text of the political agreement on the Council regulation to reduce gas demand will be available soon.
Source: Council of the EU
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