Brussels - (AFP) - A European plan to cut gas consumption across the continent by 15 percent to deal with the energy price crisis triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine goes into effect on Tuesday.

And published on Monday in the European Union's official administrative newspaper, the decree related to a plan agreed by the 27-country bloc two weeks ago, to be implemented on Tuesday.

"In view of the imminent threat to the security of gas supplies caused by Russia's military aggression against Ukraine, this law must be brought into force urgently," the text said.

The goal is for the European Union to be able to boost its gas reserves before a winter that is expected to be very difficult. Soaring energy prices and reduced supplies of Russian gas , on which several member states depend, are putting pressure on families and businesses in Europe.

The law states that EU countries will "make maximum efforts" to reduce gas consumption by "at least 15 percent" between August this year and March next year, based on the average amount they have consumed over the past five years.

But some European Union countries have been exempted from having to strictly follow this rule, which is called a "voluntary cut in demand".

These countries are either not fully connected to the European electricity grid or pipelines with other parts of the European Union, or they are unable to provide enough pipeline gas to help other member states.
Hungary, which depends on gas pumped directly from Russia, demanded an exception.

The bulk of European gas imports came from Russia last year, amounting to 40 percent, to Germany, the largest economic power in the European Union.

And in the event that the European Commission detects a "significant shortage of gas supplies" or an exceptionally high demand, it can ask the European Union countries to declare a state of alert for the bloc. Such a move would make consumption cuts compulsory and limit exceptions.

And while EU sanctions on Moscow did not include Russian gas, the Kremlin cut supplies dramatically anyway, something Brussels saw as an attempt to twist its arm.