EU energy ministers reached a political agreement on reducing gas demand, the Czech presidency of the EU Council said on Twitter.

"This was not a mission impossible! Ministers reached a political agreement to reduce gas demand ahead of the coming winter," the statement said.

On July 20, the European Commission unveiled a gas demand reduction plan to prepare the EU for supply cuts, setting the goal of reducing blue fuel consumption in the region by 15 percent by next spring.

The European Commission noted that the EU faces the risk of further supply cuts from Russia because "the Kremlin is making gas exports a weapon," with supply cuts already affecting nearly half of EU member states. 

Europe must be ready for a complete stop of Russian gas supplies "sooner or later," said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Shortly before the meeting of the bloc's energy ministers, Spain and Portugal, in particular, criticized the European Commission's proposal for a plan to reduce gas demand.