News - Middle East: European Union (EU) members have agreed to reduce gas consumption as a European energy crisis deepens with Russia's latest decision to tighten the squeeze on the flow of gas to the continent.

EU energy ministers approved the plan in a majority vote in Brussels on Tuesday. Hungary was the only country that voted against the plan, which asks member states to voluntarily reduce gas use by 15 percent based on a five-year average, from August to March.

"In an effort to increase EU security of energy supply, member states today reached a political agreement on a voluntary reduction of natural gas demand by 15 percent this winter," the European Council said in a statement.

"The Council regulation also foresees the possibility to trigger a 'Union alert' on security of supply, in which case the gas demand reduction would become mandatory," the statement added.

An energy crisis in Europe caused by Russia's previous decisions to cut the flow of gas supplies to the continent deepened after Russian energy giant Gazprom said on Wednesday it would further cut flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to a fifth of capacity. Gazprom said the curtailment was due to the fact that a turbine needed to operate Nord Stream 1 that was sent to Canada for repairs could not be returned because of sanctions.