Brussels has flagged Spain and six other nations for not meeting the voluntary 15 percent reduction in gas use during the period from August through March. The European Commission’s statistical arm, Eurostat, compared average gas consumption for those months across 2017 and 2022, highlighting an overall 11 percent drop in Spain’s gas use.
Spain asserts that it achieved its aim, reporting a 21 percent reduction after accounting for fuel used to generate electricity and excluding exports to France and Portugal before nuclear and hydro resources were constrained. When looking at the five-year import balance, calculations from the Ministry of Ecological Transition indicate a 23 percent decrease in demand.
Eurostat notes that the majority of EU countries reached the 15 percent target last summer, with several exceptions. Besides Spain at minus 10.8 percent, Ireland, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, and Belgium also posted declines, while Malta, the smallest gas consumer among member states, recorded a 12.7 percent rise in consumption. The steepest reductions occurred in Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden, with decreases of 55.7 percent, 40.5 percent, and 37.2 percent respectively. Overall, natural gas consumption in the EU fell by 17.7 percent on average.
The agreement, signed by all twenty-seven members, calls for a voluntary 15 percent cut in gas use from August 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, assessed against the previous five-year average for the period. Exhibition of compliance was not tied to punitive measures; rather, the goal was to spur nations to reduce reliance on gas amid broader efforts to wean the continent off Russian supplies.
Within the security of supply framework, adjustments to the target were expected, though some countries petitioned for exceptions after protests during the summer while viewing 15 percent as too high. Spain, for instance, faced a lower target range, aiming for 6 to 7 percent during electricity exports when hydro or nuclear capacity was limited in neighboring countries.
Government figures indicate electricity exports to France rose in the eight months, with France shifting its nuclear output. The rise in exports reached up to 9.4 terawatt-hours (TWh), compared with imports averaging 3.9 TWh in the same period over the previous five years. In Portugal, electricity sales totaled 3.8 TWh.
In the weeks ahead, European nations agreed to maintain these targets to prepare for another winter, extending the plan from April to March 2024, measured against the same April-March period and the five-year reference window from 2017 to 2022.