- It proposes that the Member States adopt measures on a voluntary basis, but it wants it to be competent to coerce in the event of a worsening of the situation. The Spanish Government is opposed to the plan. The committee proposes to strengthen the use of coal, oil and nuclear energy as a substitute for gas, once again calling into question the ecological transition.
On Wednesday in Brussels, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented the report for a safe winter saving gas. The report comes after several days of disruption of Russia’s gas supply to the EU as a result of a breakdown in the Nord Stream 1 pipe. Von der Leyen has assured that Russia is using energy as a weapon, and that Europe must be prepared “even if the interruptions are total or partial”. None of the consequences of EU decisions to fuel war, or of other policies that can be developed for the future.
Voluntary or forced reduction
Brussels has asked Member States to reduce gas consumption by 15% from 1 August to 31 March, determining that measures should be taken by citizens, industry and public institutions. Member States should submit their consumption reduction plans and report to Brussels on a bi-monthly basis on their progress. The restriction would in principle be voluntary, but the European Commission has proposed to amend the rules in order to have powers of coercion from States in the event of an “alert” situation being imposed.
Solidarity among States
The plan presented by Brussels urges the Member States to act in solidarity with each other, as the dependence on Russian gas is different. Germany is one of the most dependent countries. It remains to be seen how the Member States will receive the European Commission’s proposal. The Spanish Government is against publication of the plan within a few hours. Teresa Ribera, Vice-President of the Spanish Government and Minister for Ecological Transition, said that the proposal is neither the “best” nor the “most effective”: “Spain is a country of solidarity, but we must succeed in the best way to help the EU countries that depend on Russian gas. Our industrialists and our consumers must not withstand the security of supply that they have been paying for years."
Combating the ecological transition
“Renewable energy must be prioritised, but it may be necessary to take advantage of coal, oil or nuclear energy for a while,” the European Commission’s report states. What is more, the committee recommends delaying the planned closures of nuclear power stations. The Commission’s position has aroused criticism. Greenpeace, for example, has denounced that the report “focuses too much on facilitating the return to sources of dirty fuels, such as oil or carbon, as well as securing money for industry.”