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EU member states reached an agreement last month to cut natural gas consumption came into effect on the 9th. According to the EU, the move is intended to prepare for possible disruptions to Russian gas supplies.

Under the agreement, reached on July 26, EU member states agreed to base gas demand on the average consumption over the past five years, according to measures of their choice, for the period from August 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. 15% reduction.

According to data from the European Commission, to achieve the above goals, EU member states must save a total of 45 billion cubic meters of natural gas, and Germany, a “large gas user”, should save about 10 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

If the member states do not save enough natural gas by then and there is a shortage of gas supply, the EU will take mandatory measures to reduce natural gas demand. According to DPA, the EU has a high threshold to initiate the coercive measure, requiring the consent of at least 15 of the 27 member states and representing at least 65% of the EU population.

The European Commission will conduct a review by May 2023 to consider whether to extend the agreement, based on the overall situation of gas supply in the EU.

European countries have long been highly dependent on Russian gas and oil supplies. Since Russia launched a special military operation against Ukraine on February 24, the EU has followed the United States in imposing multiple rounds of sanctions on Russia, but the backlash caused by the sanctions has made the EU more embarrassed.