Greece to seek exemption from EU plan to limit gas use by 15%

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Greek government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said on Monday that Greece will demand an exemption from the European Commission's plan on the reduction of gas consumption by 15%, on Tuesday, at the upcoming extraordinary meeting of EU energy ministers.

During a press briefing, Oikonomou stated that "Tomorrow Greece will push for changing this initiative. We will demand the exemption of our country from this reduction. What we are going to discuss is the comparison level over one past year rather than 15. We consider the proposal of the European Commission unacceptable in its current state. Greece will demand an exemption. If there is a reduction, then it should be based on the statistics of the previous year." 

In other words, the spokesperson argued that with regard to Greece, a reduction of gas demand based on the 15-year average would mean a 24% reduction instead of 15%. These numbers, according to Oikonomou, are "unacceptable."

On July 20, the European Commission put up a new guideline on coordinated gas consumption reduction across the Union as a means of reducing its reliance on imports and coping with the price surge.

The proposal states that the initial objective of 15% will begin on August 1 and last through March 31 of 2023, saving the EU a total of 45 billion cubic meters of gas. This will start off as optional, but if the objective is not met, it can turn into required. The European Commission's suggestions won't take effect until they've been accepted by a majority of EU member states.

Read more: Sanctions disrupting supplies of Russian gas: Kremlin

EU states intend to ask for exemptions from plans to reduce gas demand

European Union member states are planning to demand exemptions from the European Commission's proposal to ration natural gas and cut demand by 15% during the next eight months, The Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The EU Commission on Wednesday proposed new coordinated measures to reduce gas demand in EU member states, including the introduction of initially voluntary goals to reduce gas demand by 15% between August 1 and March 31, 2023, which amount to a whopping 45 billion cubic meters of gas.

EU member states, according to a draft document, said binding targets should be set based on the extent of dependence each country has on Russian supplies and the volumes of gas already delivered to storage facilities.

Additionally, the document cited by the news outlet said the member states believed that those able to supply others with gas should be allowed to cut demand by less than 15%, while also calling for several industries considered critical to the EU common market to be exempted from the requirements.

"Member states should be free to choose the appropriate measures to reach the demand reduction," the draft document read, as per FT.

The draft exemptions require that no less than five EU member states sign a request to the European Commission that makes the guidance mandatory, while the majority of member states will have to support this requirement.

The European Commission's proposal is aimed at mitigating the damages caused by the sanctions on Russia's energy sector, which left the European economies high and dry after preventing them from acquiring gas from Moscow. The bloc has already approved seven packages of sanctions against Moscow, including a gradual phase-out of Russian oil in the wake of the Ukraine war.