July 14 () –
The third vice president of the Government and minister for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, warned this Thursday that Spain must prepare “for a possible gas shortage scenario in the EU in the coming months” although currently the country ” does not face security of supply problems”.
The minister has held several meetings with representatives of consumer associations, the energy sector and social agents, within the round of institutional contacts that she maintains in the process of preparing the country’s energy security Contingency Plan.
“European countries must prepare for a scenario of gas shortages in the coming months, as a result of the war in Ukraine. Spain does not face supply security problems, but like the other community partners, we are designing a Contingency Plan to deal with said scenario in a coordinated way with our neighbors and with the European Commission”, the vice-president pointed out, according to the Ministry in a statement.
Ribera explained that the Contingency Plan revolves “on three axes”. “How can we promote the most intelligent possible use of energy from the point of view of savings and efficiency; how can we replace gas with other fuels and advance in electrification and the implementation of renewable gases; and how can we help neighboring countries in a worse situation and with worse prospects than us,” he added.
“To draw up the Plan we are meeting with different actors: the energy sector, large industrial consumers, consumer and user organisations, social agents and various regional and local administrations”, defended the minister, who pointed out that they will also share the plan with the parliamentary groups. After them, “and in response to the recommendations that the Commission will present soon”, the Government will open another round of contacts before submitting it to the Council of Ministers, the minister concluded.
FOUR MEETINGS TO GET PROPOSALS
Ribera has met this Thursday first thing in the morning with the consumer associations; specifically, with Carlos Balluguera, president of the Council of Consumers and Users, with Carmen Redondo, head of Consumption at Hispacoop, and with Nelson Castro, secretary of Hispacoop.
At mid-morning he received the employers of the electricity and gas companies, represented by Marina Serrano, president of Aeléc, and Joan Batalla, president of Sedigas.
After lunch, he held a meeting with the oil and fuel distribution sector. They have attended Alejandro Ripoll, president of Aevecar; Andrés Guevara, president of BP Spain; Jorge de Benito, CEES president; Maarten Wetselaar, CEO of Cepsa; José María Gordo, Compliance Director of DISA Group; Josu Jon Imaz, CEO of Repsol; and Juan Antonio Carrillo, CEO of AOP.
In the afternoon, the last meeting of the day took place, with the social agents: Cristina Rivero, Director of Industry of CEOE; Francisco Vidal, Director of Economics at Cepyme; Unai Sordo, secretary general of the CCOO; and Mariano Hoya, Deputy General Secretary for Trade Union Policy of the UGT.
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