The EU’s agreement to cut its gas consumption by 15% by winter does not apply to all member states equally, as several derogations are in place to forge a united front.
The deal comes as Russia again cuts gas flow to Europe via the vital Nord Stream 1 pipeline, complicating efforts to store enough fuel to survive the winter.
But getting approval from all members meant watering down the deal with opt-outs to appease a handful unwilling to sacrifice their own economy to support Germany’s, the largest in Europe.
Jozef Sikela, the Czech Minister for Industry and Trade, said there were other concessions and they would not apply if, in the case of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, which are not directly connected to the EU’s gas, Russia bought the gas from the EU EU separates system.
“Our initial calculations indicate that even if all derogations were fully utilized, we would achieve a demand reduction that would safely see us through an average winter,” said EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson.
A group that includes Greece, Spain, Italy and Portugal has received a waiver allowing its power plants to be protected from reduction targets in the event of an emergency, according to the Greek Energy Ministry.
Meanwhile, European wholesale gas prices rose for a second day after Russia’s gas flows through Nord Stream 1 were reduced.
Prices for gas to be delivered from this summer into the winter months rose as much as 12%, according to futures markets.
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