Amendments to Regulation (EU) 2022/1369
Article 1
Open ↗Regulation (EU) 2022/1369 is amended as follows: (1) in Article 2, points (5) and (6) are replaced by the following: ‘(5) “reference gas consumption” means the volume of a Member State’s average gas consumption during the reference period; for Member States where gas consumption increased at least by 8 % in the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022 compared to the average gas consumption during the reference period, “reference gas consumption” means only the volume of gas consumption in the period from 1 April 2021 to 31 March 2022; (6) “reference period” means the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2022;’; (2) Article 3 is replaced by the following: ‘Article 3 Voluntary demand reduction Member States shall use their best efforts to reduce their gas consumption in the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 at least by 15 % compared to their average gas consumption in the period from 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2022 (“voluntary demand reduction”). Articles 6, 7 and 8 shall apply to those voluntary demand-reduction measures.’; (3) in Article 5, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following: ‘2. For the purpose of mandatory demand reduction, for as long as the Union alert is declared, gas consumption in each Member State over the period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024 (the “reduction period”) shall be 15 % lower compared to its reference gas consumption. Any demand reductions achieved by Member States during the period before the Union alert was declared shall be taken into account for the purpose of the mandatory demand reduction.’ ; (4) in Article 5, the following paragraph is added: ‘6a. A Member State may adjust the reference gas consumption used to calculate the mandatory demand-reduction target pursuant to paragraph 2 by the volume of increased gas consumption resulting from the switch from coal to gas used for district heating, if that increase is of at least 8 % in the period from 1 August 2023 to 31 March 2024 compared to the average gas consumption during the reference period and to the extent that this increase is directly attributable to the switch.’ ; (5) in Article 8, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: ‘1. The competent authority of each Member State shall monitor the implementation of the demand-reduction measures on its territory. Member States shall report on their gas consumption (in terajoules, TJ) to the Commission at least every two months and not later than by the 15th day of the following month. If a Union alert is declared in accordance with Article 4(1), the reporting shall be submitted on a monthly basis. Member States may include in their reporting a breakdown of gas consumption per sector, including gas consumption for the following sectors: (a) gas input for electricity and heat generation; (b) gas consumption in industry; (c) gas consumption in households and services. For the purpose of this paragraph, the definitions and statistical conventions established in Regulation (EC) 1099/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( *1 ) shall apply. The GCG shall assist the Commission in the monitoring of the voluntary and mandatory demand reduction. ( *1 ) Regulation (EC) No 1099/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2008 on energy statistics ( OJ L 304, 14.11.2008, p. 1 ).’;" (6) in Article 9, the date ‘1 May 2023’ is replaced by ‘1 March 2024’; (7) in Article 10, the second paragraph is replaced by the following: ‘It shall apply until 31 March 2024.’.