Brussels, 24/07/2009 (Agence Europe) - Speaking on the sidelines of the informal Energy Council held in Åre on 23 July, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs did not rule out the possibility of a new crisis in gas supply to the EU this winter, given the problems encountered by Ukraine, through which country 80% of the Russian gas destined for the Community market transits, in paying the Russian gas company, Gazprom, for its supply. "We believe that the possibility of an interruption to supply exists. [The Russian gas which transits via Ukraine] represents 5% of the total energy supplies of the EU. This is a considerable amount", he stressed. Seeking a loan to pay for purchases of Russian gas by its gas company Naftogaz, the Ukrainian authorities were set to meet representatives of international financial institutions in Kiev on Friday 24 July. These institutions are calling for more details about the reforms promised by Ukraine for its gas sector and upon which their loan is conditional (EUROPE 9931). On Monday 20 July, the Ukrainian press reported the breakdown of the second round of technical consultations last week on granting a loan to Ukraine to pay for its supply of Russian gas. A source quoted stressed that the European Commission did not intend to lend Kiev more than half of the $4.2 billion Ukraine needs to top up its storage capacities over the summer, in order to keep the transit gas pipelines destined for Europe under the correct pressure. The European financial institutions (EIB and EBRD) and the multilateral ones (IMF and World Bank) are calling for, amongst other things, the Ukrainian budget to cease subsidising gas prices. According to a Community source, Ukraine has nonetheless made "certain progress" over the last week, but the amount of the loan Ukraine can hope to be granted remains uncertain. The gas coordination group, which is made up of experts from the Commission, the member states and the European gas sector, will meet in Brussels on 11 August. (E.H./transl.fl)