BRUSSELS, March 4. /TASS/. Energy Minister of member-countries of the European Union supported extension of voluntary gas consumption by 15% against the average figure from April 2017 to March 2022 for one year, the EU Council said in its statement.

"Thanks to the political agreement achieved today in the Council, member states are encouraged to continue reducing their gas consumption until March 31, 2025, by at least 15 % compared to their average gas consumption in the period from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2022," the EU Council said.

The European Union introduced "the voluntary reduction" measure in spring 2022 in conditions of expanding energy crisis caused by EU plans to embargo Russian oil and coal purchases and the refusal of certain EU countries to pay for Russian gas in rubles. The EU member-nations approved in parallel the RePowerEU plan that comprises the complete rejection of all kinds of Russian gas by 2027.