The European Union is developing an action plan in case Russia decides to cut off gas supplies this year.
This was stated by European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson in an interview with the Financial Times, reports "European Truth".
The EU Action Plan calls for measures to limit gas supplies to industry, while bypassing households. The EU is also trying to pump in as much gas as possible and will be able to replace two-thirds of this year's supplies.
Earlier, russia cut off Poland, Bulgaria and Finland for refusing to pay for russian gas in rubles.
"We are faced with a situation where any member state can be next. So far we have been able to take care of the security of supply of these three member states, mainly through the solidarity of neighbors ... This year, if there is a complete disruption, we are preparing contingency plans," Simson said.
EU industry accounts for 27% of gas consumption, with the largest consumers being the chemical industry, ceramics, food and glass. Prior to russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, 40% of gas supplies to the EU came from russia. Now this figure has dropped to 26%.
On March 31 the president of the russian federation vladimir putin signed the decree on calculations in rubles for gas supply to "unfriendly countries". The new rules come into force on April 1. Gazprombank has been appointed the authorized bank.
G7 ministers agreed not to pay russia for gas in rubles. Read more about why russia requires payment in rubles and what it will lead to in the material LB.ua "With wooden on sanctions."
On May 18, the European Commission approved a plan to switch to renewable energy sources and abandon energy resources from russia. REPowerEU envisages the final abandonment of russian gas "significantly earlier" from 2030. By the end of 2022, the European Commission considers it possible to reduce the purchase of "blue fuel" in russia by two-thirds, and oil and petroleum products - almost entirely, except for a few Central European countries without access to the sea.
The EU also plans to increase the share of renewable energy to 45% by 2030 and reduce energy consumption by 13%.