BRUSSELS — The European Commission is asking member countries to consider cutting back on oil and gas use, especially in the transport sector, in preparation for “prolonged disruption” to energy supplies from the Iran war.
The request, made by EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen, reflects fears that the conflict in the Persian Gulf is graduating from a price problem to an all-out energy supply crisis, with serious implications for the global economy.
In a letter to national energy ministers, seen by POLITICO, Jørgensen said that national governments should consider “voluntary demand saving measures … with particular attention to the transport sector.”
That could mean governments asking citizens to drive or fly less to save fuel for more essential purposes, as is already happening in some Asian countries.
