Poland is against the European Commission’s proposal for a mandatory curb on gas consumption in the EU amid a looming energy crisis, the Polish Climate Minister has said.
“It is very difficult to discuss the mechanisms, which the EC has prepared over a few days and in a rush, and which force obligatory gas use cuts on member countries,” Anna Moskwa said on Monday.
“Member countries cannot approve mandatory gas consumption cuts in a situation when they do not know what the coming winter will look like and when their interests are not secured,” she added.
According to her, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Cyprus and Malta are also against the obligatory gas consumption cuts.
On July, 20, the European Commission proposed that the 27 EU member states each cut their gas use by 15 per cent from August 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The proposal is aimed at preventing an energy crisis during winter. The target would be voluntary, but the Commission could make it binding in a gas supply emergency.
Brussels also urged countries to curb gas use now to help fill storage ahead of winter and warned that a full cut-off of Russian gas was likely.