The EU’s energy minister’s meeting took place in Brussels, and there the member states agreed to join a plan for a voluntary cut in gas use of 15 percent, from and including 1 August 2022 to and including 31 March 2023, reads a press release. The plan nevertheless allows for the introduction of binding savings targets if the gas shortage becomes acute.
Luxembourg’s energy minister Claude Turmes writes on Twitter that Hungary was the only member state that voted against.
Also read: Warns before summit: – Putin wants to destroy the everyday lives of all European families
On the way into the meeting of energy ministers, Czech Deputy Prime Minister Jozef Síkela emphasized that it is now important to act quickly.
– Winter is coming, and we don’t know how cold it will be. But what we know for sure is that Putin will continue to play his dirty games and abuse the gas supplies to engage in blackmail. We have to prepare our households and our economies for that, said Síkela.
– You cannot divide us, said Germany’s Economy Minister Robert Habeck, as a response to Russia’s recent gas cuts.
It was also mentioned that the EU has decided to extend the economic sanctions against Russia for another six months until 31 January 2023.
Cut in deliveries
The EU decision comes the day after the Russian energy giant Gazprom announced that deliveries of gas to Germany will again be reduced.
From Wednesday, deliveries through the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline will be reduced to 20 percent of full capacity. Another turbine will then be closed as a result of technical maintenance, according to Gazprom.
According to the EU’s energy commissioner Kadri Simson, it is precisely such a scenario that the European Commission has warned against.
– Yesterday’s announcement from Gazprom emphasizes once again that we must be prepared for the possibility of cuts in supplies from Russia at any time, Simson said upon arrival at the energy ministerial meeting in Brussels.
– We know that there is no technical reason to do this. It is a politically motivated step, she maintained.
Addiction
In recent years, Russia has accounted for around 40 per cent of gas deliveries to the EU. It has put the EU, and especially Germany, in a deep dependence on Russia.
Now the Russians are accused of throttling deliveries to hit the European economy. At the same time, the EU has decided to cut imports of Russian oil and coal to punish Russia for the war in Ukraine.
Estonia’s Economy Minister Riina Sikkut said ahead of Tuesday’s meeting of energy ministers that the EU must now send a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that Europe will not allow itself to be blackmailed.
– We know that Russia uses energy as a weapon, and Russia understands that it will be a difficult winter. But Europe must cope with this, she said.
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