The natural gas supply, on the agenda of EU energy ministers

The EU has extended a number of measures aimed at keeping energy prices stable, throughout winter.

Eugen Coroianu, 20.12.2023, 13:50

Having met in Brussels, EU energy ministers maintained a number of measures aimed at ensuring the stability of energy prices and the consumers’ energy supply, in spite of the fact that, according to the Commission, member states stored enough natural gas to avoid any problems over the winter. The European Commission said that energy prices stabilized at the lowest level since the start of the war in Ukraine, but signaled the fact that the geopolitical situation remained a problem that could influence them. That is why the Commission, together with the Council, have extended certain measures that protect consumers from possible moments of volatility or supply problems.

As a first measure, EU energy ministers decided to extend until December 2024 an emergency regulation to coordinate gas purchases and cross-border exchanges in the event of shortages. A second measure, according to the Radio Romania correspondent in Brussels, is to shorten the deadlines for approving energy projects from renewable sources, so as to reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and the extension is until June 30, 2025. Finally, the third measure, maintained until January 31, 2025, aims to impose a temporary mechanism to correct possible high gas prices, prices that may not correspond to the reality of the international market.

The energy commissioner, Kadri Simson, explained that the measures were taken preventively and that the market is currently stable, and winter stocks provide additional security. According to the European Commission, the import of Russian gas is half the level of 2022, in an effort to financially weaken Russias war machine.

As for Romania, the energy minister, Sebastian Burduja, said recently that gas deposits are full and that we are extracting more than we manage to store. The country also has a security agreement with Azerbaijan, of up to 1 billion cubic meters of available gas and also the option of using liquefied natural gas on the Turkey-Bulgaria-Romania or Greece-Bulgaria-Romania route. Burduja also said that starting 2027 Romania will have the biggest gas production in Europe, through the Neptun Deep project, and that it now ranks first in the European Union in terms of consumption coverage capacity from its own production sources. (EE)