EU Asks Countries to Significantly Cut Natural Gas Consumption Until Next Year

A ship works offshore in the Baltic Sea on the natural gas pipeline Nord Stream 2 from Russia to Germany on Nov. 11, 2018. Bernd Wuestneck/dpa via AP, file photo

The European Union asked its member states to cut consumption of natural gas by 15 percent at a minimum until spring 2023.

According to the proposed regulation (pdf), released Wednesday, it would set an initial 15 percent reduction in natural gas usage between Aug. 1, 2022, and March 31, 2023.