The EU gas contingency plan is a compromise that provides many exemptions for member states. The chairman of the International Energy Agency is skeptical that the measures will suffice for the winter. Federal Minister of Economics Habeck wants a higher savings target for Germany.
The federal government wants to save more gas this winter than the 15 percent planned by the EU. Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck campaigned in Brussels after the EU states had agreed on an emergency plan for a higher national savings target. Depending on the severity of the winter, “16 or 20 percent” might also be possible, said Habeck. At a special meeting in Brussels, the energy ministers of the EU states reached a “political agreement to reduce gas demand”, as announced by the Czech EU Council Presidency. According to Luxembourg, Hungary was the only country to vote against the compromise. “Europe cannot be divided,” said Habeck after the deliberations. This signal is also heard in Moscow.
The plan envisages that the member countries will each save 15 percent of gas on a voluntary basis from August to the end of March. However, the regulation provides for numerous special rules. In Germany, sectors such as the food and fertilizer industries are exempt from the savings target. The overall savings target of 45 billion cubic meters of gas originally planned by the EU could not be achieved in this way, said Habeck. However, he expressed confidence that many countries would save more than planned because of the high gas prices.
The chairman of the International Energy Agency (IEA), Fatih Birol, sees Europe not adequately prepared for the coming winter, despite the emergency plan. “If we don’t take serious measures, we could be confronted with a major gas supply crisis,” Birol told the news portal ZDFheute.de. In order to prevent a major crisis, Europe must reduce its gas consumption by 20 percent.
He considers the emergency plan decided by the EU energy ministers to be “a step in the right direction,” Birol said. In addition to an ambitious savings target, a great deal of solidarity is also needed. The coming winter will be “a historic test” for Europe. If Europe fails with the gas supply, this “will have an impact far beyond the energy sector,” Birol warned. In particular, the low storage levels in the EU worried him, Birol said. For a “comfortable, normal winter”, the storage facilities in the EU would have to be 90 percent full before the onset of winter – but according to Birol, the filling levels are currently only around 60 percent on average.
Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner mentioned optimizing the settings for gas heating or switching to home office over Christmas and New Year in large authorities as possible savings measures so that the buildings do not have to be heated. Thus, the situation can also be managed without the “sometimes a bit funny hints, such as when showering,” said Lindner on ntv. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen welcomed the agreement on the gas emergency plan as “a decisive step to counter Putin’s threat of a complete gas shutdown”. However, the member states had softened the solidarity mechanism with Germany that she presented on Friday in days of negotiations.
Exceptions apply, for example, to countries with a low connection to the interconnected grid such as Spain and Portugal or islands such as Ireland, Cyprus or Malta. You can apply to be exempted from mandatory savings targets. A high hurdle has now been set for this to be resolved via an “EU alarm”: at least five states must call on the EU Commission to initiate emergency measures. The EU states would then have to adopt them with a qualified majority – i.e. at least 15 states representing 65 percent of the EU population. Von der Leyen had unsuccessfully requested a special power of attorney to be able to directly enforce savings targets.
Czech Industry Minister Jozef Sikela, whose country negotiated the compromise as EU Council President, said Russian President Vladimir Putin had failed to split the EU states. The further Russian gas reduction through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline leading to Germany on Monday proves that Putin is “continuing the blackmail with gas supplies”. Countries like Greece and Spain, which had insisted on exceptions, expressed their satisfaction. The Federation of German Industries (BDI) had previously spoken out in favor of the EU emergency plan.
Should the German industry get into difficulties due to a lack of gas, massive consequences up to and including an economic downturn are feared. “If the chemical industry in Germany coughs, the entire European industry could come to a standstill,” warned French Energy Transition Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. The change in the law still has to be formally sealed by the EU countries before it comes into force. The European Parliament has no say.
