The European Commission’s proposal, already approved by the European Parliament, aims for Member States to maintain sufficient gas reserves before the winter season.
This measure seeks to mitigate the EU’s vulnerability to price fluctuations stemming from geopolitical tensions, notably the war between Russia and Ukraine, while balancing energy security with a return to market-based principles.
Member States must fill storage facilities to 90% capacity at any time between October 1 and December 1 each year, with flexibility allowed in challenging market conditions.
In this context, the 27 nations should have the possibility to deviate by up to 10 percentage points from the filling target in difficult market situations, such as signs of speculation hindering cost-effective storage filling.
