MEPs back urgency procedure to refill gas reserves before next winter 

Sajtóközlemény 
 
 

Parliament decided on Tuesday to start immediately working on plans to refill gas reserves, to ensure that the framework is ready ahead of next winter.

The proposal to set up a minimal gas storage obligation ahead of winter was adopted by the Commission on 23 March. The Industry, Research and Energy Committee requested that the urgent procedure (Rule 163) be applied.

The triggering of the urgent procedure was approved by plenary by show of hands. Parliament will vote on the content of the proposal on Thursday. The matter will then be referred back to the Committee for negotiations between Parliament, Council and the Commission.

On 23 March, the Industry Committee’s political groups’ coordinators decided to nominate a negotiating team led by Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL) and composed of MEPs Patrizia Toia (S&D, IT), Klemen Grošelj (Renew, SL), Marie Toussaint (Greens/EFA, FR), Paolo Borchia (ID, IT), Zdzislaw Krasnodębski (ECR, PL) and Sandra Pereira (The Left, PT).

Background

At the Versailles Summit, EU leaders requested measures to tackle the issue of energy independence. The proposal from the European Commission, welcomed by the European Council at their 24-25 March summit, aims to reduce the risks to security of gas supply. The Commission proposes targeted amendments to existing legislation (internal market for gas and security of gas supply regulations) introducing:

  • a mandatory minimum level of gas in storage facilities ahead of the winter 2022/2023 and for the following winter periods;
  • mandatory certification of storage system operators should reduce the risks resulting from influence over the critical storage infrastructure, and
  • an incentive to use storage capacities further, with possible exemptions from transmission tariffs at storage entry or exit points.

The proposed legislation is also meant to bridge the regulatory gap until the December package on Internal Market for Gas and hydrogen enters into force.