Europe is developing contingency plans in case of a complete halt to Russian gas imports, the EU’s energy commissioner said, as she warned that any country was at risk of being cut off by Moscow.
Kadri Simson said the EU was racing to store as much gas as possible and could replace most of Russia’s deliveries this year but would have to do more if there were any “full disruption” of supplies.
The plans being drawn up by the European Commission would include measures to ration gas supplies to industry, according to people familiar with the proposals, while sparing households.
Russian state-owned gas supplier Gazprom has already cut gas supplies to Poland, Bulgaria and Finland for refusing to comply with a Kremlin decree to pay their bills in roubles instead of euros or dollars.
“We are facing a situation that any member state might be the next one [to be cut off],” Simson said in an interview. “So far we have been able to take care of the security of supply concerns of these three member states, mainly with the help of the solidarity of neighbours.”
“This year if there will be full disruption, we are preparing contingency plans,” she said.