(CIANEWS) - The Energy Council in Brussels has supported the proposal for a Council Regulation on the coordinated reduction of gas consumption as part of the package of measures called Save Gas for a Safe Winter prepared by the European Commission (EC). The aim is to prepare EU countries for winter in the event of interruption of Russian gas supplies. The Energy Council was convened by the Minister of Industry and Trade Jozef Síkela (for STAN) within the framework of the Czech Presidency. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the draft regulation sets, among other things, the goal of reducing gas consumption by 15 % between August this year and the end of March 2023 compared to the average consumption in this period over the last 5 years. The EC is negotiating with Nigeria on additional gas supplies. It has already agreed memoranda with Israel, Egypt, Azerbaijan or Norway.