The European Commission is preparing to announce an emergency plan to secure natural gas supplies and avoid a crisis next winter, amid fears of a complete shutdown of gas supplies from Russia.
In the draft plan, which is subject to change, the Commission urges EU member states to continue voluntary measures to rationalize gas consumption and avoid the situation turning into a crisis.
The draft added that if two or more EU member states are exposed to an emergency situation due to reduced supplies, “binding measures will be applied to reduce gas demand.”
With the current heat wave in Europe increasing demand for energy, the Commission’s plan to focus on winter seems illogical, while concerns about gas supplies in the European Union are growing.
Last Monday, the European Energy Agency warned that EU efforts to secure gas supplies away from Russia were not enough to avoid supply shortages during the winter, and called for reduced demand to ensure higher levels.
Reserve at the time of filling the warehouses before the onset of winter.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced last Monday a new energy partnership with Azerbaijan, which aims to import 20 billion cubic meters of Azerbaijani gas by 2027.
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