The European Commission has proposed an extension of gas demand reduction measures, emphasising the need to start preparations for the upcoming winter season now.

More specifically, EU officials aim to prolong emergency legislation on measures to reduce gas demand by 15% for another 12 months.

The existing regulation is set to expire at the end of March.

The proposal aims to help countries avoid security of supply issues in the upcoming winter season – the plan will be discussed at the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council on 28th March.

Continuing the 15% reduction for another year, complemented by additional LNG and pipeline gas from other countries and new renewable capacity, is sufficient to ensure no concerns related to gas supply security.

The Commission stated that monitoring and reporting monthly data on savings per sector will enable member states to implement more targeted measures if necessary.

Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said: “We have made good progress on supply diversification and reduced our dependency on Russia, but global gas markets are expected to remain tight over the coming months.

“Continued gas demand reduction will ensure our preparedness for the next winter and allow us to reach more easily the 90% gas storage target by 1st November.”