The European Union has agreed to cut gas consumption across the bloc over fears that the current level of demand leaves countries exposed to Russian supply disruption.
A deal struck on Tuesday aims to bolster European energy security over winter by requiring each of the 27 member states to cut demand by 15 per cent on their average consumption over the past five years by 31 March 2023.
Ahead of negotiations European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said member states needed to work on the assumption Russia would cut supplies completely to pressure the block to lift sanctions brought against Vladimir Putin’s regime for waging war in Ukraine.
Ms von der Leyen said if the 15 per cent target is met “we can make it safely through this winter in case of a complete disruption of Russian gas,” though Ireland’s energy minister disagreed before the deal was reached, saying there would still be a significant shortfall in supplies.
Hours before negotiations on the deal began in Brussels, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of waging a “gas war” on Europe.
Russian state energy company Gazprom said another turbine powering the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany would be turned off, cutting the pipe’s daily capacity to 33 million cubic metres from Wednesday.
That is half of the current level, already only 40 per cent of normal capacity, while pipelines to southern parts of Europe have been totally cut off. In the year before the war, Europe imported about 40 per cent of its gas from Russia.
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