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13.07.2010 23:35
© svilen001 @sxc.hu
Householders should not have to go without gas due to a gas-supply crisis, and such crises should be better managed, thanks to EU-wide co-ordination procedures and interconnection requirements laid down in draft legislation agreed informally with the Council at the end of June and approved by the Industry Committee on Tuesday.
The proposed regulation, prompted by the 2008 and 2009 gas crises, when supplies of Russian gas through Ukraine to the EU were disrupted by disputes between Moscow and Kiev, aims to remedy a lack of co-ordination and interconnected infrastructure among EU Member States.
Customer protection
Market mechanisms are the first and best line of defence against possible supply disruptions, say MEPs, and national crisis prevention plans should be based primarily on these mechanisms, leaving non-market measures as a very last resort. National plans, based on risk assessments meeting common requirements, must be ready within two years at most of the regulation's entry into force.
However, in a gas supply crisis, householders' supplies would be first in line for protection under the new rules. Member States may also designate additional protected customers, such as small and medium sized enterprises and essential social services, provided that the latter do not use more than 20% of the national gas supply.
In the event of extremely low temperatures, gas supply companies would be required to ensure supplies to protected customers for a seven day peak period and for 30 days of exceptionally high demand, during the coldest weather, or for 30 days in the event of infrastructure disruption under average winter conditions.
Preventive action plans
Member states will need to ensure that even if their biggest gas infrastructure fails, the remaining network is capable of meeting total daily gas demand on a day of "exceptionally high demand" (which, statistically, happens once every 20 years).
National authorities will have four years to comply with this supply standard, by building additional storage capacity, introducing reverse flow technology, ensuring connections to the integrated EU gas network and by ending any dependence on a single third-country gas supplier. Cross-border interconnections among Member States will have to be in place within 3 years of the regulation's entry into force.
The European Commission will assess the national plans and request changes if they prove inconsistent with those of other EU Member States countries or could endanger their security of supply. The Member States concerned will then have four months in which to improve their plans.
Source: EU parliament
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