DUBLIN: Ireland will not be affected by the European Commission’s move to reduce gas use to secure winter stocks and defeat Russian energy “blackmail”. Last week, the Commission asked EU countries to reduce natural gas demand by 15% in the coming months. However, the Department for the Environment said Ireland would be exempt from this measure because our gas grid is not connected to any other Member State.
“In Ireland’s case it has been recognised that our gas grid is not interconnected to any other Member State and Ireland, therefore, has the possibility of an exemption from the mandatory reduction requirement,” the Department of the Environment said in a statement.
The Department said it “welcomes that Member States across the EU have shown solidarity against the weaponization of gas supplies by Russia.”
EU commissioners also asked member states to give Brussels special powers to impose mandatory energy rationing if Russia cuts off Europe’s gas lifeline. Both measures were approved yesterday.
Although Ireland is not connected to the EU gas system, rising gas prices will affect Irish consumers. The Department will now review and consider the implications of this regulation to examine options for reducing gas demand in solidarity with other EU Member States.
Hungary was the only country to oppose the EU’s plan, which passed on a majority vote. “This is an unjustifiable, useless, unenforceable and harmful proposal that completely ignores national interests,” said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. The minister believes the move is aimed at protecting the credibility of some Western European politicians.
On Monday, Russian energy giant Gazprom announced it would cut daily deliveries through the Nord Stream pipeline to 33 million cubic metres a day (20% of the pipeline’s capacity) from today.
Last year, 40% of gas used in the EU was imported from Russia, with Germany accounting for a large share of this consumption. German Economy Minister Robert Habeck said reliance on Russian gas was a strategic mistake, but the government is trying to correct it.
Apart from Ireland, Cyprus, Malta, Spain and Portugal have also been exempted from the EU’s 15% reduction due to their limited interaction with the gas grid.