European Parliament lawmakers right this moment backed plans obliging EU international locations to fill their gasoline reserves to not less than 80 % of capability by November 1 and to 90 % earlier than winter 2023 — an effort to guard the bloc from a cutoff in Russian gasoline deliveries.
Since EU international locations have gasoline storages of various sizes, they may solely be required to fill these to 35 % of their nationwide consumption over the previous 5 years to keep away from disadvantaging international locations with very giant storages.
MEPs voted 490 to 47 in favor of the proposal, with 55 abstentions.
The proposal should nonetheless be formally adopted by the Council earlier than it turns into legislation, after which it might enter into drive in July.
Fee Vice President Frans Timmermans mentioned right this moment that 12 EU international locations have to this point been affected by Russian gasoline provide reductions.
“The chance of a full gasoline disruption is now extra actual than ever earlier than,” he advised MEPs. “That’s the reason the adoption of the gasoline storage regulation … is so essential at this second.
The EU’s complete gasoline storage is at present crammed to round 55 % of capability.
The proposal additionally features a voluntary mechanism for joint procurement of gasoline and the creation of a certification process for storage operators demonstrating they aren’t a hazard to Europe’s safety of provide.
Final week, Moscow diminished gasoline flows by way of the Nord Stream pipeline to Germany to 40 % of capability, and Berlin right this moment declared stage two of its three-stage vitality alert system.
