Cefic appreciates the strong sense of urgency in the European Commission’s and Member States’ efforts to safeguard sufficient volumes of gas to enable our households and our economy to go through the next two winters. It is an individual and collective responsibility, and the chemical industry is ready to play its role together with the Commission and the Member States. We applaud the leading role Commissioner Breton is taking again.

When it comes to Demand Reduction Plans, we agree with the approach proposed by the European Commission to promote market-based instruments, to identify common principles and criteria, and to provide guidance in identifying priority sectors in the extreme event of gas curtailment. A value chain and cross border analysis is crucial, as the Commission has indicated.