European governments are attempting to water down Brussels’ plans to push the bloc into cutting gas demand to better weather a shortage of Russian supplies this winter.

Diplomats from the 27 EU member states have been locked in negotiations since the European Commission proposed measures last week requiring countries to cut gas use by 15 per cent from next month. The plan prompted bickering over the size of the target and whether Brussels had the power to make it binding. It needs to be approved by member states at a meeting of energy minister this week.

In a draft proposal seen by the Financial Times, EU countries have suggested that, while a voluntary target could be standardised across the bloc, compulsory targets should take into account each state’s dependency on Russian gas as well as the amount they have managed to funnel into storage.