Spain, Portugal reject EU’s proposal to limit natural gas use by 15%

The European Union’s plan to reduce the bloc’s natural gas use by 15 per cent to prepare for a potential cutoff by Russia this winter received sharp skepticism Thursday from the governments of Spain and Portugal, which are usually big supporters of the bloc.

The governments in Madrid and Lisbon said they would not support the initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday. The proposal would start with voluntary reductions, but the EU’s head office also wants the power to make 15 per cent savings mandatory in the event of an EU-wide energy emergency.