On Thursday 23 June the European Parliament approved by a very large majority (490 votes in favour, 47 against and 55 abstentions) the agreement reached with the Council of the European Union on the proposal for a regulation aimed at contributing to the EU’s energy security by guaranteeing a certain level of gas reserves before the winter.
The text retained by the co-legislators obliges Member States to ensure that underground gas storage facilities on their territory are filled to at least 80% of their capacity before the winter of 2022/2023 and to 90% before the following winter periods.
The adoption of the agreement by the Parliament comes only 3 months after the presentation of the European Commission’s proposal for a regulation through the use of a special procedure. This unusually fast pace is explained by the EU institutions’ desire to strengthen the Union’s capacity to guarantee its energy security as quickly as possible in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine
