“Let’s prepare for a complete shutdown of Russian gas. Today that is the most likely option,” Lemaire said at Rencontres Economiques, an economy-focused event in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence. The minister said the French government is working to identify companies that should receive priority protection in the event of a supply disruption. “You also have to prepare cargo shedding plans, we do,” he later told reporters. “It means looking very specifically at every company, every sector of employment. Which companies have to reduce energy consumption and which ones can’t.” Le Maire cited Saint-Gobain, a major construction materials company, as an example of companies that should not be deprived of natural gas supplies, even in an emergency. He pointed out potential damage to production equipment and the risk of environmental impact. “We have to anticipate and put ourselves in battle order now,” he said. The French government has proposed a series of measures to manage a potential gas supply disruption, including giving it the power to call for gas-fired power stations as part of a wider “purchasing power” legislative proposal. The bill will be debated in France’s National Assembly next week. This article is part of POLITICO Pro The one-stop solution for policy professionals who combine the depth of POLITICO journalism with the power of technology Exclusively breaking scoops and ideas Customized policy information platform A high-level public affairs network
