In order to ensure the EU’s energy security in facing the risk of reduced or even halted gas supplies from Russia to Europe, members of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) broadly agreed on Thursday 31 March to consider the proposed regulation on gas storage as urgent in an exchange with the European Commission.
The urgency procedure, which has already been used in the fight against Covid-19 (see EUROPE 12455/4), is enshrined in Rule 163 of the European Parliament’s Rules of Procedure and allows the legislative process to be sped up on Parliament’s side by proceeding directly to a vote in plenary on the entry into negotiations with the EU Council (‘trilogues’), without the need for any prior report or amendments.
The vote is expected to take place on Tuesday 5 April, between 2 and 3 pm, according to the latest draft agenda of the plenary session.
According to our information, the coordinators of the political groups in the ITRE Committee have also agreed not to table any amendments on the content of the proposed regulation.
Presented on 23 March, it provides in particular for an obligation to be imposed on EU countries to ensure that underground gas storage facilities on their territory are filled to at least 80% of their capacity by 1 November 2022, and then to 90% for subsequent years (see EUROPE 12917/7).
The European Parliament’s aim is to reach an agreement with the EU Council as soon as possible and to then approve it at the June plenary session.
The negotiating team will be led by Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland) and consists of Patrizia Toia (S&D, Italy), Klemen Grošelj (Renew Europe, Slovenia), Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, France), Paolo Borchia (ID, Italy), Zdzisław Krasnodębski (ECR, Poland) and Sandra Pereira (The Left, Portugal).
Representing the European Commission, Ms Mechthild Wörsdörfer, Deputy Director General of the Energy Department (DG ENER), welcomed the ITRE Committee’s position: “In order to have that proposal in place, because we are close to first of April, we need to go as fast as possible”.
Regarding the position of the EU Council, the proposed regulation will be discussed on Friday 1 April by Member States’ ambassadors to the EU (Coreper).
Impact on gas prices is worrying
While MEPs share the European Commission’s desire to move as quickly as possible on this dossier, they expressed some concerns about the institution’s proposal.
Claudia Gamon (Renew Europe, Austria), Ms Toussaint, Mr Borchia and Dan Nica (S&D, Romania) expressed fears that this would ultimately lead to a further increase in gas prices.
In the opinion of Mr Nica, it is therefore crucial that the proposal is accompanied by a joint procurement mechanism.
Faced with these concerns, Ms Wörsdörfer has acknowledged that gas storage will have an impact on prices, both now and in the future. However, she pointed out that 25-30% of the storage can be used in winter to improve the price situation, noting that the European Commission has proposed a joint gas purchase mechanism that goes hand in hand with the storage regulation (see EUROPE 12917/7).
Ms Gamon, Ms Toussaint and Mr Grošelj also emphasised the fact that the proposal on gas storage should remain a temporary measure.
According to Ms Toussaint, it is in fact crucial that gas storage is not perpetuated, but instead there should be a focus on renewable energies and energy efficiency, which will be the key to ensuring the EU’s “genuine energy sovereignty”.
She therefore called on the Commission to present “equally serious and binding plans on energy efficiency as there are on gas supplies”. (Original version in French by Damien Genicot)