Spain and Portugal reject EU plan to limit natural gas use

Operators work at the Enagss regasification plant, the largest LNG plant in Europe, in Barcelona, Spain, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. The European Union’s plan to reduce the bloc’s gas use by 15% to prepare for a potential cutoff by Russia this winter has been met with sharp skepticism by Spain and Portugal. Madrid and Lisbon said they would not support the initiative announced by European Commission Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday (Emilio Morenatti/AP/PA)

The European Union’s plan to reduce the bloc’s natural gas use by 15% to prepare for a potential cut-off by Russia this winter has received sharp scepticism from Spain and Portugal.

On Thursday the governments in Madrid and Lisbon said they would not support the initiative announced by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday.