Austria faces criticism from European Commission. Country lacks a clear plan to reduce dependence on Russian gas

Reducing dependence on supplies of natural gas and other energy commodities from Russia has been a major issue across Europe since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Although the volume of gas deliveries from Russia to Europe fell dramatically last year, gas is still flowing into EU countries via Ukraine and Turkey. In its latest European Semester assessment, the European Commission did not spare Austria criticism, saying the country still lacks a clear plan to reduce the volumes of gas it takes from Russia in the short term.

According to the Commission, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the vulnerability of Austria’s energy sector and its security of supply. Last year, Austria managed to reduce the share of Russian gas in its total supplies year on year to 57 %, from around 80 % in 2021. Nevertheless, the country still faces considerable energy security challenges, according to the European Commission, even after adopting various measures, including establishing strategic natural gas reserves.