Commission proposes EU-wide 15% gas demand reduction plan

Measure in Brief

The Commission proposed a Council Regulation on Coordinated Demand Reduction Measures for Gas based on Article 122 of the Treaty and has adopted a European Gas Demand Reduction Plan. The Regulation sets a target for all Member States to reduce gas demand by 15 percent between 1 August 2022 and 31 March 2023 and gives the Commission the possibility to declare a 'Union Alert' imposing mandatory demand reduction after consulting Member States.

Who Is Affected

All consumers are targeted, including public administrations, households, owners of public buildings, power suppliers and industry, and Member States will need to plan and report on measures. The Plan seeks to safeguard households and essential users such as hospitals and industries critical for supply chains, while Member States requesting solidarity supplies must demonstrate domestic demand reduction steps.

What Comes Next

Member States should update national emergency plans by the end of September and report progress to the Commission every two months while the Commission accelerates work on supply diversification and joint purchasing.