EU COMMON GAS SAVING PLAN

The European Commission proposed that the 27 EU member states each cut their gas use by 15% from August 2022 to March 2023. The target would be voluntary, but the Commission could make it binding in a gas supply emergency. The main goal is saving 45 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas needed to weather a colder-than-average winter in case deliveries from Russia's Gazprom cease.

1. Emergency trigger on mandatory rationing will be voted on by countries.
2. Lower reduction targets for EU member states with large storages and gas exporters. It also includes exemptions for important sectors including steel and chemicals.
3. Cyprus, Malta, Ireland: Complete pass from the savings on the grounds that the island nations aren't physically connected to the Continent, meaning they couldn't send over any extra gas to neighbors anyway. Each of the three islands only consumed between 1 bcm and 2 bcm of gas annually.
4. Italy: Italy will not need to cut its naturals gas consumption as proposed by the EC. The country is planning to fill its gas storages in time for the heating season.
5. France: France is opposed the EC’s plan to control gas policies of EU member states. France's national goal of slashing overall energy use by 10 percent over the next two years should be more than enough to cover the gas savings requirements.
6. Poland: Opposed the EC’s plan to control gas policies.
7. Bulgaria: In case of crisis, some derogations on coal, just for this winter.
8. Greece: Reduced saving target as Greece uses most of its gas for electricity generation, cutting down on consumption would only force it to suck more power away from the continental grid.
9. Spain, Portugal: Special reduction on the savings obligation to account for their limited ability to send gas to France due to a dearth of gas interconnectors between the countries.
10. Denmark, Netherlands: Will be able to deduct savings from the required winter quota, and count any extra gas in underground storage above EU mandates as contributing toward the savings target as well.
11. Germany: Germany will have the option to request that gas consumed by industries deemed critical be not taken into account in determining the volume of mandatory reduction.