EU May Make Member States Share Gas If Russia Halts Supplies Abruptly - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th May, 2022) The European Commission has developed a plan of action for the event of abrupt shutdown of gas deliveries from Russia under which member states with alternative suppliers will have to share their fuel with the rest, Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Sunday, citing sources.

The Commission intends to finalize the plan on May 18, according to the report.

Brussels will draw on the regulations of supply security that went into effect in 2017 by introducing measures aimed at ensuring sufficient gas deliveries to households and key social institutions across the European Union, the sources told the newspaper, adding that the measures will also seek to alleviate economic and social impact of a possible emergency.

The European Commission will also reportedly introduce energy rationing, which would primarily affect industry by balancing competitive advantage of businesses in countries experiencing supply shortages with those that receive gas uninterrupted. This means that gas leveling measures will to some extent influence all EU member states.

"Some (states will be influenced), as they are directly affected by the cutoff.

Others (will be affected) because they would be obligated to reduce industrial consumption to aid their neighbors," the sources were quoted as saying.

The EU is now preparing the sixth package of sanctions against Russia for starting a military operation in Ukraine, with an oil embargo among the anticipated measures, yet EU member states remain disparate about the ability of the bloc to substitute Russian energy supplies, considering the bloc's heavy dependence on oil (24%) and gas (39.2%) from Russia. The situation was aggravated by the recent cutoff of Poland and Bulgaria from Russian gas due to their refusal to proceed with gas payments in rubles.

On April 1, Russian President Vladimir Putin's decree requiring gas payments in rubles went into effect. It stipulates that all contracts for pipeline gas deliveries with companies on the "unfriendly nations" list be settled in the Russian national Currency. The majority of the countries rejected Russia's demand, with EU officials and European leaders taking steps aimed at diversifying their gas supplies in the hope of subsequently abandoning Russian energy.