“We act within our prerogatives within our powers and we act based on the information we have and we feel it is vital that we all remain calm despite the hot temperatures outside, and that with a cool head we can discuss the best way to respond to this crisis”, said the European Commission's main spokesman, Eric Mamer.

Asked at the institution's daily press conference in Brussels about the opposition of countries such as Portugal, Spain, Greece and Poland to the proposal presented on Wednesday by the community executive, Eric Mamer declined to comment on “specific political statements”.

“This is not a game we are going to play,” he added.

Recalling that, in the EU, there have already been “fierce debates” on other matters, the spokesman considered it necessary to “effectively strengthen European solidarity in the field of energy”.

And he warned: "None of us should make the mistake of believing that there is only one member state concerned with dependence on Russian gas."

“We should all be very aware of the fact that what might start out as a problem in the energy field will very quickly become a problem in economic terms and I don't think anyone is interested in that”, said Eric Mamer.

So far, Portugal, Spain, Greece and Poland have expressed their disagreement with the proposed measure, which will be discussed during the extraordinary Council next Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the European Commission proposed a target to reduce EU gas consumption by 15% by the spring, when Russian supply is feared to be cut, admitting to proceed with a mandatory reduction in demand in the face of warning.

The objective is that, between August 1st of this year and March 31st, 2023, Member States reduce their consumption of natural gas by 15% (compared to the historical average in that period, considering the years 2017 to 2021), in order to increase the European storage level and create a safety cushion for emergency situations.

In Portugal, Russian gas represented, in 2021, less than 10% of the total imported.