It's a typical EU compromise that won't hurt anyone and won't do much good – and that was to be expected.
EU member states are trying to use 15 percent less gas from now until the end of winter, on a voluntary basis and with numerous exceptions.
The EU energy ministers have thus sent a political signal.
They don't want to be divided in response to Russian aggression.
but that is all.
Those states that have resisted the EU Commission's more ambitious proposal are given double security: there are exceptions for them, and it is almost impossible that the voluntary target will become mandatory in the future.
Economics Minister Robert Habeck knows that he will not be able to close the increasingly drastic supply gaps through savings from other countries.
And he's probably secretly glad that the member states have the last word if the "alarm" that makes savings a duty should go off.