The Spanish government has said the EU’s proposal for general targets to reduce gas use ahead of a winter supply crisis is “not efficient, fair or equitable” as member states wrangles over the plan
In an open letter to the European Commission, Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Minister of Ecological Transition, complained that Brussels’ plan to ask countries to reduce gas demand by 15 percent starting next month and during the ‘winter was not discussed with member states before its announcement on Wednesday.
“We share the final objective of the commission’s proposals: solidarity must be at the core of the EU’s response to guarantee security of supply. However, the response cannot be based on the imposition of unfair sacrifices without properly identifying the most effective and supportive contributions that each member state can offer to achieve this common goal,” he wrote.
Spain is one of several EU countries to oppose the plan, which recommends a voluntary reduction of 15% over the next eight months compared to average levels over the past five years. Brussels proposed that the target be made mandatory if the commission considers the risks of disruptions to energy supply to be serious.
On Wednesday, Ribera Rodríguez offered an evening to Germany, which depends on Russian supplies for more than half of its gas: “Unlike other countries, the Spanish have not lived beyond our means from an energy point of view “.
The Greeks, Portuguese, Italians, Poles and Cypriots also oppose the plan, arguing that a blanket target is unfair given member states’ different energy mixes, while Germany, which has declared a national state of emergency over energy and rationing debate. gas this winter, has supported it.
“No country can say it is unaffected by rising energy prices,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Friday. “It’s the same world we live in and it’s a global problem, not just for a few individual countries.”
Brussels unveiled its proposal to cut gas this week amid fears that Russia could further weaponize energy supplies, after Moscow cut gas flows to at least 12 EU countries. But as winter approaches, member states’ request to cut gas consumption by 15 percent marks an early test of the EU’s united front in Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Disagreement over the 15 percent target and the commission’s ability to make it binding has sparked negotiations in Brussels to see if an alternative proposal can be worked out ahead of a meeting of EU energy ministers Tuesday.
Poland has pushed for a lower target, which could be raised if the situation worsens, while Germany has said it should be higher. The French have argued against having a flat rate and the Italians have called for a price cap to reduce energy costs.
“We have many concerns about this proposal. Negotiations are underway, so we hope to have an amended text in the next hours or days,” said an EU diplomat.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen insisted that member states must show solidarity. “I know these are testing times, but… . . Testing times require us to be well organized and well coordinated at European level.”
“It is in the interest of all member states, however dependent they may be on Russian gas,” the commission added on Friday. “It is vital that we reach a common response to the challenges we face.”
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Scenarios modeled by the commission suggest that in the event of a severe winter and severe gas disruptions, the EU’s gross domestic product could fall by as much as 1.5 percent.
“Solidarity is at risk here because member states have already said they disagree with the targets,” said Phuc-Vinh Nguyen, a researcher at the Jacques Delors Energy Centre. “There will be an economic cost and if all member states act on their own, it will cost more than a solution as a whole. If German industry collapses, for example, the entire EU economy will collapse overall.”
Under EU rules, the proposal must be approved by 55 percent of EU countries or governments representing 65 percent of the EU’s population at next week’s meeting.
Additional reporting by Marton Dunai in Budapest and Sarah White in Paris