Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010

Author (Corporate)
Series Title
Series Details (2016) 52 final (16.02.16)
Publication Date 16/02/2016
Content Type

The purpose of the draft regulation is to ensure that all Member States put in place appropriate tools to prepare for and manage the effects of a gas shortage due to a disruption in supply or exceptionally high demand. There are three levels of responsibility for the security of the gas supply. It is natural gas undertakings, subject to market mechanisms, that bear the primary responsibility for the gas supply. In the event of market failure in a given Member State, the competent authorities of that Member State and of the Member States in the region are responsible for taking appropriate measures to secure the gas supply to protected customers. At another level, the European Commission provides general coordination and ensures that the measures taken are consistent with one another.

To meet this objective, the draft regulation proposes stronger regional coordination, with certain principles and standards being set at EU level. The approach proposed is that Member States should cooperate closely within their regions when conducting regional risk assessments. To ensure EU-wide consistency, regional risk assessments will be conducted on the basis of an EU-wide simulation, with common standards and a specific scenario. Risks identified through regional risk assessments will be addressed in regional preventive action plans and emergency plans, to be peer-reviewed and approved by the Commission.

Five years after the adoption of Regulation 994/2010, the security of the gas supply remains a highly topical issue, given the tensions prevailing between Ukraine and Russia. Efforts are being made at national and EU level to enhance the security of gas supplies for the winter of 2015/2016 and beyond.

Source Link http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2016:052:FIN
Related Links
EUR-Lex: COM(2016)52: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2016:052:FIN
ESO: Background information: Towards Energy Union: The Commission presents sustainable energy security package http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-towards-energy-union-the-commission-presents-sustainable-energy-security-package/
EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)25: Impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:025:FIN
EUR-Lex: SWD(2016)26: Executive summary of the impact assessment http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=SWD:2016:026:FIN

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