Gas – EU countries on Tuesday agreed on a plan to cut gas use to reduce dependence on Moscow, said the Czech presidency of the EU Council. The agreement comes after several EU countries opposed a blanket reduction in gas use of 15% compared with the average of the previous five years, as requested by the European Commission, from August this year to the end of March next year. Although this target is maintained, the new accord stipulates that member states will do their best to reach this targeted cut, which for the time being is voluntary. Europe is already faced with a cut in Russian gas supplies, and Gazprom announced a new reduction of supply through the North Stream 1 pipeline. Russia has been accused of weaponising energy and the European Commission warned that a total halt of gas supplies is possible.
