The European Commission has asked this Monday to the governments of the European Union to fill their tanks for next winter to avoid supply problems and face market pressure, as a consequence of the conflict in the middle eastalthough he does not believe that the bloc’s energy security is at stake.
The crisis in the Middle East has caught a good part of the EU countries with its lower than usual gas reserves. Although the energy crisis for Europe It is not so much a question of supply but of cost. The countries of the block They import 64% of the gas they consume from the United States, while Qatari gas barely reaches 4% of imports.
However, attacks on facilities in Qatar have sent prices soaring in an increasingly volatile market. The price of gas reached 61 euros this Monday, very far from the almost 300 that registered in 2022. However, in the eyes of Brussels, “timely and coordinated preparation” It will be key to guarantee replenishment for next winter.
“We are much better prepared than in 2022 thanks to collective political decisions, coordinated diversification efforts and the accelerated deployment of domestically produced energy,” he said in a statement. Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen. At the same time, the Dane has recognized that The EU’s exposure to global market volatility “is evident.”
More flexibility
Jorgensen has called on governments to prepare for winter. Fill the tanks “as soon as possible” It will allow the bloc to benefit from more margin to adapt to market pressure, the commissioner has argued. “In these difficult times, it is essential that we do everything we can to protect our citizens and businesses“he said.
In a letter sent to governments last Friday and to which he has had access THE NEWSPAPERJorgensen called on countries to begin replenishing reserves to “benefit from a longer filling period”. The commissioner defended that this will allow “adapt to market circumstances” and avoid “the end-of-summer rush to refill storage.”
At the same time, Brussels has offered some flexibility to governments when filling their tanks. Jorgensen encouraged the countries of the bloc to make use of the flexibility offered by the legislation European Union on gas storage, which requires reach 90% between October and December.
In the letter, the commissioner reminded the Twenty-seven that, when the conditions for filling underground gas tanks are “difficult”, Governments have some room to deviate from the target. Jorgensen invited the countries of the bloc to reduce your goal to 80% and put the services of the Commission at its service to provide assistance in the process.
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