Brussels, 06/10/2006 (Agence Europe) -The Gas Coordination Group (GCG), which brings together experts from Member States and the Commission and energy sector and consumer representatives, has concluded that there was no threat to gas supply this winter. Meeting on Thursday at the request of Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, the group welcomed, for the first time, representatives from Russia and Ukraine. Believing there to be no immediate need for concern, the GCG, nonetheless, agreed that further vigilance was indispensable: it pointed out in particular that greater transparency in contractual relations between gas suppliers to Europe would be necessary to reinforce confidence in both Russia and Ukraine as reliable partners in gas supply and transit to the EU. The GCG noted that, in the event of a severe winter, supply-demand difficulties should not be ruled out. It also discussed measures for improving the EU's ability to react to cuts in supply in the future. Finally, it deemed that the situation in the UK was expected to improve this winter, because of the construction of two new pipelines from the Netherlands and Norway and due also to the further increase in the capacity of the UK-Belgium interconnector. (eh)