The Spanish government does not approve of the idea of the European Commission to limit gas consumption by 15%, according to Minister of Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge Teresa Ribera.
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“We are defending European values, but we cannot make disproportionate sacrifices about which we were not even asked for a preliminary opinion,” says Rebera.
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She also noted that Spain’s families “would not be affected by the shutdown of gas or electricity in their homes.”
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Ribera assured that a “disproportionate sacrifice” could not be demanded from Spain, because “unlike other countries, we Spaniards did not live beyond our means from an energy point of view.”
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On July 20, the EC outlined emergency plans for countries to reduce gas consumption by 15% by March 2023. The EC also warned countries that without serious cuts, they could experience fuel difficulties in winter if Russia cuts off supplies.
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The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, also said that the filling level of underground gas storage facilities (UGS) in Europe is 62%. With all this, “the flow of Russian gas to the EU is no more than one third of the figures [in July] last year,” she added.
