The majority of the shadow rapporteurs on the report on the extension of the gas storage regulation, who met on Wednesday 9 April for a debate in the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE), came out in favour of giving Member States more flexibility when it comes to filling gas storage facilities before winter.
The European Commission has presented a proposal for a regulation on gas storage, as amended in 2022 to ensure the EU’s security of supply following the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This proposal aims to extend the regulation until the end of 2027 (see EUROPE 13593/11).
While all the rapporteurs emphasise the importance of this extension in ensuring security of supply, they nevertheless call for a “balance” to be struck to take account of higher gas prices as filling deadlines (particularly interim ones) approach, especially in summer.
While the Greens/EFA and The Left groups do not wish to touch the current 90% target (to be achieved by 1 November), the EPP and S&D groups agree on a lower target, proposing 80%. The ECR and Renew Europe support a target of 85%. These two groups also called for the interim targets for the annual fill trajectory to be presented as indicative only.
“Let’s not impose a date. Let’s give buyers plenty of time to source supplies when conditions are deemed favourable by these markets”, explained Jens Geier (S&D, German), who called for Annex IA, which sets out the filling targets to be achieved by each Member State on1 August, 1 September, 1 October and 1 November, to be simply deleted.
In parallel with the negotiations that are about to be finalised in the Council of the EU so that the inter-institutional discussions can begin (see other news), Andrea Wechsler (EPP, German) supported the possibility of deviating from the target by 5% in the event of unfavourable market conditions, and an additional 5% flexibility “if national gas production exceeds average national consumption or if the injection rate is low”.
The EPP is also explicitly in favour of immediate application of the revised regulation, so that flexibilities can be used from 2025.
At the EU Council, the Polish Presidency’s compromise also introduces a period between 1 October and 1 December for achieving the annual filling target. While the EPP explicitly welcomes this proposal, Ivars Ijabs (Renew Europe, Latvian) feels that the period is too long, proposing instead a timeframe of between 15 October and 15 November.
Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, French), for her part, called on all the political groups to introduce into the text an obligation of traceability, making it possible to know where the gas used by gas operators to fill EU storage facilities comes from.
During the debate, the European Commission justified the 90% target by explaining that it corresponded to the average for the years leading up to 2021. It also stressed the importance of continuing the work of evaluation and coordination at European level. (Original version in French by Pauline Denys)