National envoys to the European Union debated on Friday a compromise to a European Commission proposal that all 27 EU countries cut their natural gas use after widespread resistance from governments.
The EU executive has proposed 15% lower gas use from August to March to prepare for possible supply cuts from Russia. The target would initially be voluntary, but would become mandatory if the EU executive declared an emergency.
EU national diplomats raised concerns about the proposal soon after it was made on Wednesday, while Portugal said it was "totally against" the plan and Hungary announced it was talking with Russia about additional gas purchases.
The EU aims to reduce its dependence on Russian gas by two-thirds by the end of the year and to zero by the end of 2027.
The main sticking point is whether the Commission should have the power to declare an emergency and make the reduction targets mandatory.
Under a proposal put forward by the Czech Republic, which holds the rotating EU presidency, the Commission would instead merely propose mandatory cuts on which EU governments would decide, EU diplomats said.
The Commission said on Friday it was normal to have a debate, but the need for gas consumption cuts was clear. The matter was not limited to a few EU members and an energy issue could quickly become a broader economic problem.
"It's based on the fact that there is a serious risk of cut-off of supply of gas from Russia and we need to prepare for this eventuality," a spokesperson said. "This is not the first time that we are having fierce debates.... on crucial subjects."
(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; additional reporting by John Chalmers; editing by Barbara Lewis)
