EU energy ministers reached a political agreement in principle (‘general approach’) on Tuesday 28 March on the legislative proposal to prolong the voluntary 15% gas demand reduction target between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024, compared to the average consumption between 1 April 2017 and 31 March 2022 (see EUROPE 13145/15).
Following the adoption of this measure in August 2022, overall natural gas consumption at EU level fell by 19.3% between August 2022 and January 2023.
Among other things, this regulation provides for the possibility for the EU Council to trigger a ‘Union alert’ on security of supply, in which case the reduction of gas demand would become mandatory.
The EU Council will have to formally adopt the regulation before it can be published in the Official Journal of the EU and enter into force. Adopted on the basis of Article 122 of the TFEU, this legislative text makes it possible to bypass the so-called co-decision procedure, with the European Parliament simply being informed of the Member States’ decision. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)