Members of the European Union have agreed to reduce their gas consumption in case Russia cuts off supplies, although some nations will be exempt to prevent rationing.
Since the proposal was made last week, EU countries have been in discussions, and they have now decided to voluntarily cut their gas consumption by 15% between August and March.
The Czech Republic, which is currently in charge of rotating the EU chair, tweeted, “This was not a Mission Impossible!”.
However, after initially lacking exemptions, the agreement was softened.
The EU has warned that Russia is “constantly using energy supply as a weapon” and that its goal from the agreement is to save money and store gas before winter.
If supplies run out, the voluntary arrangement would become obligatory.
If supplies fall short of demand, the voluntary agreement, according to the EU, will become required.
Some nations, like Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus, who are not connected to the EU’s gas pipelines, would be exempt from any mandatory gas reduction orders since they would not be able to seek alternative supplies.
