Most energy ministers back scheme to reduce winter usage by 15%, although some argue uniform target unfair
Welcoming the rationing agreement, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission said: “The announcement by Gazprom that it is further cutting gas deliveries to Europe through Nord Stream 1, for no justifiable technical reason, further illustrates the unreliable nature of Russia as an energy supplier. Thanks to today’s decision, we are now ready to address our energy security at a European scale, as a union.
But the backing for the energy savings plan was not unanimous. Hungary, which has already secured an opt-out from the EU’s embargo on Russian oil, was alone in voicing its opposition. Unusually for an EU energy ministers’ meeting, Hungary was represented by its foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, who was given an award by Putin last November, only a few months before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Baltic states can also apply for an exemption because their electricity systems are linked to Russia, making them vulnerable to blackouts in the event of a Kremlin-ordered switch-off. The exemption is designed to protect the three former Soviet countries if they are forced to rely on gas to boost electricity supplies.
Arriving at the Brussels meeting, Spain’s minister for ecological transition, Teresa Ribera, said no one questioned the need for solidarity but the initial proposal was “not necessarily the most effective approach”. Her rejection of the proposal last week kindled memories of the eurozone crisis, when southern European member states faced strictures from Germany for falling into debt.
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