The European Union is expected to determine today emergency plans to reduce gas demand in the coming monthsbut also to warn member countries that without substantial cuts today, they will face a serious fuel supply problem in the winter, in the event that Russia cuts off natural gas supplies.
Europe is in a race to replenish its natural gas reserves before winter, but also to organize a back-up supply system in case Moscow cuts further gas supplies in retaliation for supporting Europe in Ukraine for the war with Russia.
The Russian one Gazprom has halted gas supplies to some European countries, and European officials have warned that the scope for cuts in gas supplies from Moscow is likely to widen.
The European Commission is expected to urge countries to prepare for such a scenario by reducing natural gas consumption, as reported by Reuters and relayed by the Athens News Agency. A draft of the European measures seen by Reuters would propose a voluntary target for European countries to reduce gas demand over the next eight months, with implementation of the plan becoming mandatory should Europe face with an emergency, regarding natural gas.
This proposal should be approved by the European countries, which are largely responsible for shaping their own energy policies.
“This is a recommendation for all public bodies, consumers, households, owners of buildings of public use, energy suppliers, for the need to immediately take extraordinary and drastic measures to save natural gas,” states the European Commission’s draft. The exact quantitative target for reducing consumption is not mentioned in the draft, which may undergo changes before its final publication.
The same draft proposes measures that governments can take by activating financial incentives for companies to reduce consumption natural gasthe use of state aid to encourage industries and energy plants to use other fuels, but also the implementation of information campaigns, in order to convince consumers to reduce energy consumption, both for heating and cooling.
Source: News Beast
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