Brussels, 5 March 2025
The European Commission proposed today to prolong the current Gas Storage Regulation (COM/2025/99) until the end of 2027. In the current geopolitical context and volatile situation in the global gas markets, this 2 year extension will contribute to ensuring continued security of energy supply across the EU and stability of the European gas market. It will notably ensure that the EU prepares for the upcoming winter seasons in a coordinated manner.
Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jørgensen said:
‘Gas storage has shielded EU citizens from the risk of supply disruptions and this is why it is crucial that we continue with this tool. However, Member States need sufficient flexibility to fill the storage throughout the summer under the best conditions. We are recommending this flexibility today to avoid market distortions in the current situation and reduce the stress in the market.’
The Gas Storage Regulation was adopted in June 2022, at the height of the energy crisis, to ensure sufficient supplies to power EU homes and businesses throughout winter. A report on the functioning of the Gas Storage Regulation (COM/2025/98), also adopted today, highlights that it has ensured security of supply, lowering risks of supply disruption, allowing the EU to advance efforts to reduce energy dependence on Russia.
Since the 90% filling target was established, the EU has consistently exceeded it before the beginning of each heating season.
The EU’s significant gas storage capacities and EU storage facilities are the main supply source of gas in winter, ensuring 30% of EU winter supply. Enabling companies to purchase and store cheaper gas in summer, when demand is lower in the EU, helps to make energy more affordable for EU citizens.
Today’s proposal is also accompanied by a Commission recommendation (C/2025/1481) inviting EU countries to consider current market conditions and introduce flexibility when deciding on measures to refill storage facilities this summer, allowing them to fill their storage facilities throughout the season at optimal purchase conditions. This would help to avoid distortion of the internal energy market or negative effects of energy security of other EU countries or the EU as a whole, under current market conditions.
Next steps
The proposal will now be discussed by the European Parliament and the Council.
In addition, the Commission plans to review the EU’s energy security framework, during which it may assess whether more permanent storage-related measures are necessary.
The Commission will also continue monitoring the security of gas supply of the EU with EU countries in the Gas Coordination Group, and coordinate any potential measures taken to ensure optimal storage refilling.
Related links
- Amending Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 as regards the role of gas storage for securing gas supplies ahead of the winter season (COM/2025/99)
- Report on solidarity and certain aspects concerning gas and storage based of Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 (COM/2025/98)
- Recommendation on the implementation of the gas storage filling targets in 2025 (C/2025/1481)
- Questions & Answers
- Gas Storage Regulation (EU/2022/1032)
- Gas storage
Questions and answers on the prolongation of the Gas Storage Regulation and Recommendation to the Member States
Brussels, 5 March 2025
Why is the Commission proposing to extend the Gas Storage Regulation?
Over the past years, the Gas Storage Regulation has significantly contributed to ensuring security of energy supply for the EU as well as stability to the gas market. Gas storage contributes to security of supply by providing additional supply if there is strong demand or if supply is disrupted. Storage supplies 25-30% of gas consumed in the EU in winter. In addition, during the heating season, storage reduces the need to import additional gas and helps to absorb supply shocks.
Considering the current geopolitical context and the tight situation on the global gas markets, the Commission is proposing a two-year extension to make sure Europe remains well equipped against potential supply risks, especially in the winter. From the security of supply perspective, the existence of a storage filling target and filling trajectory fosters predictability and sends important signals to market players.
The proposal put forward today thus aims to prolong the current legislation until the end of 2027, since the Commission plans to review the broader EU energy security framework in 2026. As part of this review, it will assess whether more permanent storage-related measures are necessary.
How are you ensuring that the gas storage obligations do not create system stress or market distortions?
Providing Member States with sufficient flexibility to refill storage facilities, especially during the summer season, is key to prevent market distortions, especially when there is no risk for the security of gas supply in the EU. This is why the Commission is accompanying the proposal for an extension of the regulation with a Recommendation encouraging the Member States to look into flexibility options already for the 2025 filling season.
The current regulation, in force until the end of the year, already provides some flexibility and safeguards. Notably, it allows a 5-percentage point deviation from the intermediary filling targets. Moreover, Member States have the possibility to meet the 90% target on 1 December if they cannot meet it on 1 November, in particular in case of technical issues, such as pipeline constraints or injection facility problems, or in case of specific market conditions. The Regulation also foresees lower filling obligations for those Member States which have significant underground storage capacity, and it allows Member States with substantial LNG storage infrastructure to count such storage toward the 1 November target.
The Commission further recommends that Member States, when designing and implementing national measures helping to comply with storage obligations, ensure that such measures do not distort the internal energy market or negatively affect the energy security of other Member States or the EU overall, and consult the Gas Coordination Group (which gathers the Commission and the Member States) for that purpose. Coordinated action is essential to maintaining the integrity of the common market and ensuring equitable energy security across the Union.
Furthermore, Member States are encouraged to review the implementation of temporary measures that have been introduced to support the filling trajectories and the 1st of November filling target, reconsidering notably their impacts on the functioning of the internal energy market. They should also take into consideration specific market conditions when deciding on the measures regarding the filling level of the storages throughout the year.
On its part, when addressing deviations from the filling trajectory and deciding on the possible enforcement steps, the Commission will provide more flexibility by taking into account the specific developments on the gas market and the effects that they may have on the fulfilment of the filling targets. When a Member State cannot meet its target or needs to apply a specific measure to meet it, the Gas Coordination Group is convened to discuss whether the situation is a concern for security of supply. The Commission shall also consult the Gas Coordination Group before issuing a recommendation to the respective Member States, in case measures are to be taken.
What happens if Member States are not on track, or miss their targets?
When a Member State misses a target, the Commission is to assess its impact on EU security of gas supply. In the event of a substantial and sustained deviation from the filling trajectory, which compromises the meeting of the filling target, the Commission, after consulting the Gas Coordination Group and the Member States concerned, issues a recommendation to that Member State or to the other Member States concerned regarding measures to be taken immediately to address the situation.
What are the next steps for the entry into force of the rules?
The proposed extension of the Regulation will follow the ordinary legislative procedure. The European Parliament and the Council will analyse the Commission proposal and adopt their respective negotiating positions in view of interinstitutional negotiations in trilateral format, to be then followed by final votes in the Parliament and Council to allow for entry into force.
Source – EU Commission