Brussels gas for member states: reduce consumption immediately

The danger of a “gas crisis” in the winter

– Europe, in fact, is preparing to ration energy and is preparing to do so now. “We need to provide 12 billion cubic meters in the next three months to avoid a ‘gas crisis’ in the winter,” is the warning issued by the International Energy Agency, which states that without immediate action “Europe could face cuts and much more dramatic cases.” emergency later.”

The European Union Commission is studying a plan

The EU Commission plan will reflect exactly this need. Determine the industrial sectors that must be protected in the event of an energy emergency. According to the latest draft of the plan, the “industries considered strategic” are those related to health, safety, environment, defense, refining and food.

The principle of “maximum effort” to reduce power

References (contained in the first version of the text) to public buildings commitment to limit heating to 19 degrees and air conditioners to 25 have been removed. But the principle of “maximum effort” was introduced to reduce energy. An effort, in the event of a supply crisis, that would become binding at the EU level.

Solidarity, legalization and diversification

The road to Europe is a duty: solidarity, legalization and diversification. A complete shutdown of Russian gas, without the EU actually getting involved now, according to the Commission’s analysis could cost more than one point of GDP. And in Germany, chemical manufacturers fear a real disaster in production.

The committee is calm

– Russian gas flows moved from 40 to 20% of the total, they are called in Brussels (in Italy they fell to the fifth place among the sources of supply, as well as behind the Kavarzeri regasification plant, in the province of Rovigo) . Meanwhile, dealing with alternative suppliers is being accelerated. USA, Algeria, Israel, Qatar, Norway and most recently Azerbaijan. Von der Leyen flew to Baku to sign a memorandum that would raise the flow of natural gas from 8 billion cubic meters this year to 12 billion by 2023. The goal is to reach 20 billion cubic meters by 2027.

There will be an endurance test in November.

– “Even before the brutal invasion of Ukraine, the supply of Russian gas to Europe was no longer reliable,” the head of the commission said. The agreement will lead to new expansion works for the southern corridor and, in particular, to the spigot section connecting Greece and Italy. A senior EU official explained that “in November there will be a stress test to check the adequacy of the gas increase and after that we will evaluate the works,” stressing that the intervention will be framed as a European project. Recognizing what happened in Italy about the green light for the TAP programme, the commission warned: the business will “clearly” respect all environmental standards.