Compliance with the shock plan announced yesterday by the European Commission, to deal with gas shortages stemming from the war in Ukraine, constitutes a major challenge for the member countries of the EU, including Spain. The recommendation to reduce gas consumption by 15% in all areas, which could become an obligation, in the event that Russia cuts off the supply that still reaches the EU countries, is an unprecedented measure, which we must applaud for being necessary and preventive, even knowing that it will have an impact on the daily life of the citizens of our country, and that it can be a major loss for many companies. It is about saving gas now (as of August 1) to face a winter that does not entail even greater restrictions, summarizing the words of the EU president, Ursula von der Leyen. Also The guidelines accompanying the ad seem reasonable: substitute gas consumption for other energy sources, as far as possible, encourage the adoption of this measure in the industry, and educate citizens so that they contribute to its compliance by putting a cap of 25 degrees for your air conditioners, in summer, and one of 19 for heating, in winter.
The measure falls within a set of community provisions that seem rational to us, although in some cases, such as the return to coal, the schedule for its temporary use should be better specified so as not to put the energy transition at risk. This summer’s fires are a dramatic reminder of the need not to give up the fight against climate change. However, given the evident disposition of the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, to use gas as a weapon of war There is no other alternative, in the short term, than to look for other gas and oil suppliers and adopt energy saving measures. The explicit acknowledgment by the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, that the Russian objectives in Ukraine go beyond Donbas forces us to face pessimistic scenarios. Therefore, taking into account the emergencies that may arise in the coming months, there is no other choice but to save energy for a few months. if we want to avoid chain collapse which would mean the definitive closure of the Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline.
The success of the Commission’s recommendation – which energy ministers will have to ratify next week – will depend on factors that will test the EU, its citizens, its businesses and its values. The most relevant is undoubtedly that of solidarity, that forces countries like Spain, less dependent on Russian gas, to pitch in, without necessarily penalizing Spanish consumers and companies that have been paying for years for its energy security, unlike those who consumed gas from Russia. The EU passed with flying colors the stress test of unity posed by the covid-19 pandemic and the first months of the war in Ukraine. It must do the same with gas supplies and with energy policy in general, at least while Putin’s blackmail lasts. To solidarity must be added responsibility. From citizens and also from companies and public administrations so that we adapt our behavior to an exceptional situation. It may not yet be appropriate to speak of a war economy, but of a war on European soil, in which not only the sovereignty of a candidate country is at stake, but the basic values of the EU. In this sense, the announced measures will constitute a real moment of truth for the European Union.