Tyranny Save Game Editor Materials: EU Countries Approve Weakened Gas Demand Plan

The European Union (EU) has approved a weakened emergency plan to curb gas demand, in response to Russia's latest reduction in natural gas supply. The move comes as the region faces an increased gas squeeze from Wednesday, when Russian energy giant Gazprom will cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany by a fifth.

In order to soften the cuts for certain countries, including Germany and Italy, the EU deal exempts countries that meet a target for filling gas storage by August. This means that roughly a dozen states, which currently have lower storage levels, will face weaker targets than others.

The agreement was reached after energy ministers approved a proposal for all EU countries to voluntarily cut their gas use by 15% from August to March. However, the original proposal to impose a binding 15% cut on every country was rejected, leading to the compromise deal.

Russia's reduction in natural gas supply has driven up gas prices, with the benchmark front-month Dutch contract rising almost 10% and more than 450% higher than a year ago. The move is seen as a response to Western sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

EU energy chief Kadri Simson has dismissed Gazprom's claim that the latest reduction is due to needing to halt the operation of a turbine, calling it 'politically motivated'. Hungary was the only country to oppose the deal, while German Economy Minister Robert Habeck stated that the agreement would show Russian President Vladimir Putin that Europe remains united in the face of Moscow's latest gas cuts.

The EU deal also exempts countries such as Ireland and Malta from the binding 15% gas cut, as they are not connected to other EU countries' gas networks. Russia, which supplied 40% of EU gas before its invasion of Ukraine, has claimed it is a reliable energy supplier.

With a dozen EU countries already facing reduced Russian supplies, Brussels is urging member states to save gas and store it for winter, fearing that Russia may completely cut off flows in retaliation for Western sanctions over its war with Ukraine.

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