On August 5, the EU members formally adopted a crisis plan to reduce gas usage by 15% during the upcoming winter. With the exception of Hungary and Poland, practically all EU member states endorsed the plan, according to the Czech presidency of the EU.

Success of the proposal, which required support of majority of the 15 countries, was unaffected by the objections (the EU consists of 27 states).

Last week, Hungary was the sole nation to object to the agreement and raise legal concerns about EU regulations that have an impact on a nation’s energy security or balance.

Last week, Poland backed the agreement, but it rejected the final version. Poland criticized the document’s legal foundation as « flawed » and insisted that any actions impacting the energy balance of EU members should have support of all nations.

Between August 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023, EU nations have agreed to cut demand by 15% relative to their average consumption during the previous five years.

source: reuters.com