EU agrees cuts on gas use to thwart Putin

Member states agree to impose a reduction plan as Russian squeeze fuels fears of long cold winter

The EU has backed a watered-down emergency plan to cut gas consumption by 15 per cent amid mounting fears that Vladimir Putin is poised to turn off the bloc’s supply. The deal was struck yesterday after European gas prices soared by 20 per cent in two days in the wake of Russia further limiting supplies in an attempt to weaponise energy exports. Under the agreement, all but one of the bloc’s 27 energy ministers volunteered to reduce gas consumption.

THE EU yesterday backed a watereddown emergency plan to cut gas consumption by 15 per cent amid mounting fears Vladimir Putin is poised to turn off the taps on the bloc’s supply.

The deal was struck yesterday as European gas prices soared by 20 per cent in two days after Russia put a further squeeze on supplies to the continent in an attempt to weaponise energy exports.

Panicked European capitals fear they could be plunged into darkness this winter, unable to heat homes or power factories, without their usual supplies of Russian gas.

Under the agreement, all but one of the bloc’s 27 energy ministers volunteered to reduce gas consumption by up to 15 per cent over the winter, a target that could eventually become mandatory in the event of drastic shortages.

Hungary, which is considered the Kremlin’s closest ally in Europe and is in talks with Moscow to increase gas purchases, was the only EU state that refused to sign off on the emergency energy plans. Diplomats said carve-outs were inserted into the deal for every member state, including Germany, which is heavily reliant on Russian gas, to exclude them from compulsory targets.

France secured an option to reduce its personal target to eight per cent because a majority of its gas infrastructure is used to pump supplies to other member states, a source added.

Island nations such as Malta, Cyprus and Ireland, that are not connected to the wider European gas grid will be offered a reprieve from the mandatory targets.

Spain, Portugal and the three Baltic states, which are similarly not connected to the EU’S network, will also be able to exclude themselves from binding targets in the event of a winter energy crisis.

An EU diplomat told The Daily Telegraph: “The deal gives countries opportunities and opt-outs … there are tons of derogations for them to pick from.

“The big question is, if you add up all the exemptions, opt-outs and derogations, do you save enough gas?

“There is a real risk we won’t hit the targets.”

A rapid renegotiation was needed after the European Commission’s original proposal was subjected to widespread criticism from national capitals.

Following accusations of Commission “overreach”, eurocrats agreed to hand powers for mandating gas reductions back to member states. The rancorous discussions over the deal also reopened old wounds over Germany’s push for tough austerity measures for the likes of Spain, Greece and Portugal during the financial and sovereign debt crises.

Despite the animosity, EU countries were soon united in willingness to face down Mr Putin’s attempt to weaponise energy supplies against the bloc.

Kadri Simon, the EU’S energy commissioner, said Moscow’s bid to squeeze Europe had brought “consensus around the table that we need to get ready for the worst”.

Józef Sikela, the Czech minister for industry and trade, said: “The winter is coming and we don’t know how cold it will be, but what we know for sure is that Putin will continue to play his dirty games.”

Before the deal was brokered, a top Russian official threatened Europe with a cold winter if it keeps on sending weapons to Ukraine.

Dmitry Medvedev, a former Russian president and deputy head of the Russian security council, dismissed Europe’s policy towards Russia in a social media post as a “repulsive cocktail of arrogant rudeness, adolescent infantility and primitive stupidity” and hinted that the EU will have to reap the consequences of slapping sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine.

EC officials, however, believe the plan for gas savings “would help us safely through an average winter”.