Brussels, 13/10/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 11 October, the Council gave its official approval to the new regulation on gas supply, which reinforces the current Community system on the basis of Directive 2004/67/EC. The European Parliament gave the amended text its blessing on 21 September.
The new regulation, which will enter into force by the end of the year, will set in place measures to ensure the security of gas supply, by guaranteeing the efficient and continuous functioning of the internal market for gas and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities, and an effective coordination of the reactions to breaks in supply at the level of the member states and of the Union, from the point of view of preventative action and in terms of reactions. The text also sets in place protection measures for vulnerable consumers and encourages solidarity between the member states on the one hand, and between the member states and the operators on the other, with the last of these bound to cooperate and to observe the rules of the single market and their contractual obligations, including in emergency situations. Lastly, the new regulation obliges the competent authorities to consult each other at national level and, if applicable, at regional level when establishing the preventative action plan and the emergency plan. Regional cooperation is another form of solidarity provided for by the regulation. (E.H./transl.fl)