05/05/2023 (Agence Europe) – After an increase of 4.3% in 2021, natural gas demand in the EU fell by 13.2% in 2022 to 13.72 million terajoules, Eurostat said in a publication on 4 May. This is the third-lowest total since 2008. The coordinated gas demand reduction measures included in the REPowerEU strategy, which set a reduction target of 15% between August 2022 and March 2023 (see EUROPE 13151/2), eventually led to a 17.7% drop in natural gas consumption between August 2022 and March 2023. Demand fell in most Member States, except in Ireland and Malta, where it rose slightly, by 2.1% and 1.4%, respectively. Read the Eurostat publication: https://aeur.eu/f/6qd (PLD)