VIENNA - MUCH of Europe, in particular countries in the centre of the continent and the Balkans, waited on Sunday with growing impatience for gas supplies to be restored after six days in the cold in the depths of winter.

An EU-brokered agreement to turn the taps back on was reached between Russia and Ukraine over the weekend, but Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said late on Sunday that the deal aimed at restoring the supply of Russian gas to European consumers via Ukrainian pipelines was off.

Measures to help the countries hardest hit, such as Bosnia, Moldova, Serbia and Slovakia are already in place. But even if supplies are restored at once it will take three days before the gas can be despatched to customers.

- AUSTRIA: Has three months of supplies for households, according to the government and has 1.7 billion cubic metres in reserve. Several gas-powered power stations have started using fuel oil and no restrictions have been ordered.

- BOSNIA: Is totally dependent on Russian gas and a third of the population have been without heating for several days. Since Saturday the German company EON Ruhrgas has been providing 1.5 million cubic metres a day and households are being supplied.

- BULGARIA: Depends on Russian gas for 92 per cent of its supplies and continued to shiver Sunday. More than 220 factories have shot down or are operating at less than full capacity. The country can supply between 25 per cent and 30 percent of its needs for 110 days from its stocks but awaits two million cubic metres a day from Russia.

- CROATIA: Imports 40 per cent of its needs from Russia. Since Saturday has been getting supplies from Germany and Italy, with priority given to households, hospitals and schools. A state of emergency has been declared and supplies to major consumers, such as industry, cut off. The country has reserves for about three weeks.

- CZECH REPUBLIC: Has made arrangements to receive Norwegian gas and is supplying Slovakia with four million cubic metres a day.

- FRANCE: Cut in gas coming from Russia has reduced supply by 15 per cent at a time when cold weather has seen demand leap by 40 per cent. Gaz de France says it can manage in the short term but 'not all winter like this'.

- GERMANY: Gets its gas through Belarus and is sending three million cubic metres a day to Serbia and a small amount to Croatia.

- GREECE: Is dipping into reserves to make up for drop in Russian supplies which represent 75 percent of consumption but only 7.5 percent of energy needs.

Two tankers of liquefied natural gas capable of meeting needs until the end of the month expected in the next nine days.

- HUNGARY: Is using reserves to compensate for cuts in Russian gas. Uses 65 million cubic metres a day, nine million from own production. Its reserves total 3.4 billion cubic metres. Only bans concern consumption above 2,500 cubic metres an hour. Hungary is receiving four million cubic metres a day from Austria and sending 4.7 million cubic metres to Serbia, with smaller amounts flowing to Bosnia-Hercegovina and Croatia.

- ITALY: Russian gas accounts for 27 per cent of total imports and is dipping into its resereves, adequate for two months. The government wants to speed up exploitation of fields in the north of the Adriatic Sea to cut dependency on imports.

- MOLDOVA: Stocks exhausted on Saturday night and situation in separatist Transdniestr region 'near catastrophe", according to government.

- POLAND: Still getting 84 per cent of gas via Belarus with supplies increased.

- ROMANIA: Is converting some power stations to fuel oil. German distributor has called on industry to save resources and warned of supply problems if the crisis continues. Has reserves equivalent to 60 or 80 days of consumption.

- SERBIA: Situation back to normal for individuals after conversion of some power stations to fuel oil and supplies from Germany of three million cubic metres a day and 1.7 million from Hungary. As schools and colleges are on holiday there is enough for heating purposes for five to seven days.

- SLOVAKIA: Has reneged on European Union entry terms by planning to reopen nuclear reactor. Has decreed energy 'state of emergency' and imposed restrictions on industry: otherwise reserves will run out in 10 days for everyone. Prague has promised four million cubic metres a day or about 15 percent of daily consumption.

- SLOVENIA: Normally gets 60 percent of gas from Russia, rest from Algeria.

Using reserves to maintain supplies to homes and industry. Reserves adequate until beginning of next week. -- AFP