The European Commission is set on Wednesday to publish an emergency plan to secure the bloc’s gas supplies and avoid a winter crisis amid fears of a total shut-off of Russian deliveries. In the draft plan, subject to change, the commission urges EU member states to continue voluntary measures to reduce gas consumption to avoid a crisis situation, transmits MIA.

However should two or more EU member states fear an emergency situation due to low supplies, “a binding gas demand reduction target would be implemented,” the draft contingency plan states. Against the backdrop of a summer heatwave, an EU plan focused on winter heating may seem counterintuitive, however concerns are mounting over the bloc’s gas supplies.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) sounded the alarm on Monday that EU efforts to source non-Russian gas supplies were not enough to avoid energy rationing this winter, calling for demand reduction to ensure reserve levels are filled in time. The European Union has scrambled to diversify away from Russian energy sources. Last year the bloc imported 40% of its gas from the country.

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new energy partnership with Azerbaijan aiming to double gas imports to 20 billion cubic metres by 2027. The commission’s binding reduction target is to “secure the necessary overall EU reduction” for the bloc’s winter energy supplies, the draft states, without specifying an exact amount to save. EU member states are asked to update national emergency plans to detail specific demand reduction measures by September in consultation with neighbouring countries.