The European Parliament has approved faster refueling of strategic gas reserves in the EU, in order to ensure sufficiency for households / businesses during the next heating season.
The proposal, which was approved by Parliament’s urgency procedure, will now be negotiated with the relevant ministers of the EU Member States. MEPs want a mandatory minimum gas rate in storage facilities of 80% to on 1 November 2022 and 90% for the following years, in order to ensure security of supply and to protect Europeans from possible supply shocks.
Also, all the bodies responsible for storage will be subjected to a new mandatory certification process, in order to reduce the risks arising from external interventions. Those who do not obtain certification will have to relinquish ownership or control of gas storage facilities in the EU. In addition, operators will need the permission of the national regulator if they wish to close storage facilities.
In order to speed up the supply of gas reserves, the new law will provide incentives for energy companies, offering discounts on transport tariffs to or from storage facilities.
“This key legislative proposal is not just about new and much-needed legal provisions, but above all about securing gas supplies for next winter,” said Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland), MEP, who leads the European Parliament’s negotiating team. Parliament.
“This is what our citizens – households, SMEs, industries – expect from the European Union today. We must live up to those expectations and we are ready to start negotiations immediately. I believe that the Council shares this approach,” he added.
Parliament voted 516 in favor, 25 against and 15 abstentions to refer the matter back to the negotiating committee, which will start when EU ministers agree on their position.
Source: Capital
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