Press conference on the security of gas supply in the EU by Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), rapporteur, and Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), head of the EP negotiation team.

Brussels

press conference

BUZEK, Jerzy (EPP, PL)

energy union (T)

BUŞOI, Cristian-Silviu (EPP, RO)

Press conference on the security of gas supply in the EU by Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), rapporteur, and Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), head of the EP negotiation team

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, I know that there is a huge interest for the negotiations, finalisation of the negotiations, on a very important piece of legislation, which is gas storage. I'm also very honoured to be together with President Jerzy Buzek, who was president of ITRE committee, he was president of the European Parliament, he was prime minister in Poland, and he is the chief negotiator of the European Parliament ITRE Committee on the gas storage and the main rapporteur on the more complex legislative package, gas and hydrogen.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, Just a few general words. I will tell you also what ITRE will do next and then I kindly invite President Buzek to go a little bit in some of the details that he feels are very important. As a context phrase, you know that the proposal was made to address the risks of security supply caused by Russian illegal, unprovoked, horrific, horrific war in Ukraine. The legislative proposal was proposed, adopted and sent forward by European Commission on 23rd of March, so not so long time ago and we managed to do very fast the co-legislative process.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, ITRE committee requested the urgent procedure to be applied and European Parliament supported us in April, at the beginning of April, so we started working. Do not forget that at the first summit, EU leaders requested measures to address the issue of energy independence. So together and in full coordination with REPowerEU and other measures, the gas storage regulation will help us to do so. Because we will increase our ambition in 2022 to 80 percent minimum level, but member states are invited to go to 85 then, since the next year it will be 90 percent.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, There is a voluntary mechanism of joint procurement of gas in order to offset possible price increases, derived also from the storage filling obligations, but also from the general situation on the international markets. We introduce also energy efficiency and saving measures as very important also, as additional measures and clearly we wanted to send a very strong message to the member states and to ask them that EU institutions and member states will act together in solidarity to strengthen the EU's resilience and preparedness against external threats and in protection of European citizens.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, We want it and we managed to be sure that if major disruption occured this winter, this autumn, by the end of the winter, we are better prepared to face such a threat, that energy in general, and gas, of course, especially, will not be used as a blackmail, as a weapon again and again by Russian Federation. And together with the other measures, as I said at the beginning, this also will start reducing our dependence on imports from Russia on gas.

SOUNDBITE (English), Cristian BUŞOI (EPP, RO), Chair of the ITRE Committee, And little by little, these imports will be replaced and we will not have any more imports of energy products from Russia. I will stop here because there are many other important issues in the legislation and I kindly invite President Buzek to explain all this.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), While the most important points were mentioned by my colleague, that's great, fantastic. We are very much united. We are a completely united European Parliament in our actions and also through European institutions, maybe something like a historical day, because we could manage with official legislative proposal in European Union in the time shorter than two months because we started the whole legislative process less than two months ago. It was never before and probably will learn this European Union how to react for the crisis. It was the same in the case of Covid-19.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), We reacted as European Union in quite unusual way and reaction to Russian aggression, it was also almost immediate. If we take into account the 27 member states, so many members of European Parliament, 27 commissioners, each one from other member states. So it is not easy. But we learn as European Union, is great reaction, historic day.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), This case is about gas storage and we completed the legislative proposal and we are ready even before the next winter. So it means in half a year to fill in our gas storage capacities in the European Union, that's very important. We've got everything what is necessary in this case. And it is something like insurance policy for the EU citizens, industry, small and medium enterprises, of course, vulnerable are consumer, first of all, hospitals and so on, so on, to warrant the security of gas supply for the next winter, but also for the coming years. So very urgent legislative proposal and necessary just now to have something like that.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), And we should remember that is something existing in our European law, security of gas supply regulation, which was adopted and started operating between us in 2017. Without such a regulation, security of gas supply regulation in the European Union, it would be much, much more difficult, for example, in Poland or Bulgaria. And somebody could remember 2006, 2009, the same is a similar situationg Gas tap was switched off and we were without gas supply in some countries, even for one month. And in hospitals temperature zero centigrade. So no such a reason for such a situation in the European Union. We are much better prepared.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), What was lacking earlier? It was just on our storage capacities, how to fill in our storage capacity to be before the winter. So it means before 1st of November each year, we decided this year 85 percent of capacity on 1st of November should be fill in, but probably in some member states could be also 80 percent because we don't have enough time for that. So we agreed that if it is 80 percent, it is in accordance to our legislative proposal, but we prefer 85. In next winter, it will be 90 percent before 1st November 2023. So next year it should be at least 90 percent in our storage capacity.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), If we put in place a certification procedure, very important one, ensuring that no gas storage in the EU is controlled any longer by those who fuel speculative price rises and supply crisis. Very important decision is written in our regulation. We added a provision on a voluntary mechanism for joint procurement of natural gas. An idea, as a matter of fact, I first presented in my declaration, which shocked the law in 2010. So twelve years ago and member states who are not very interested, this matter of fact, but now is quite new situation and I trust the member states supported by the European Commission will make best use of this possibility to unite as a purchasing power when use procuring the gas on the global energy market.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), Because we could achieve lower prices for gas thanks to such a huge procurement on global market. Is a situation that Africa, is much bigger than that we in Europe, of course, hundreds of millions citizens or even billions of citizens. And now, thanks to the joint purchasing, we could be slightly similar or even compete with Africa, especially against American or, well, Arab market, let's say. And we opened a possibility for the member states to cooperate with the energy community contracting parties, is very important.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), Storage capacity provided by them to store additional volumes of gas, and especially in the case of Ukraine, is important because Ukraine has got for its or for our disposal about 30 billion cubic metre of gas storage capacity. Is enormous because in the European Union altogether we've got about one hundred billion cubic metre, thirty in Ukraine itself, huge capacity possibilities so we can cooperate. Member states could cooperate with Ukraine, also with other contracting parties in the community, Serbia or Moldova and so on. So if they've got storage capacities, of course.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), And last issue, the aim of the European Parliament was also to introduce precise provision limiting the use of gas from unreliable suppliers. We know such a supplier is on our continent. To use from reliable suppliers to field use storage facilities, in the current war context, it is absolutely natural and justified. It would also be a clear and strong signal to such a suppliers that we in EU refuse to have anything to do with financing some actions on our continent, horrible, unacceptable, brutal actions.

SOUNDBITE (English), Jerzy BUZEK (EPP, PL), And unfortunately saying quite openly, the French presidency has not pursued it. Most of the member states have sent out such a signal. But it is not the end of this story because each member state should do that. Each member states could say no gas supply for filling in our storage capacities from the unreliable suppliers. So we still open such a possibility and member states know very well that it was on the heart of the European Parliament as we decided in our resolution about something like that. Thank you very much. It's now time for questions.

Q&A related to the feasability of filling our gas storage only from reliable suppliers. The follow up question is regarding the member states that were against the idea of joint purchasing of gas in 2010. The last question is focused on the member states that don't have storage capacity and how this regulation can solve this issue.

Q&A regarding the mandatory or indicative status of the refuelling trajectory for 2022? The second question is focusing on the posibility of large gas storages remaining empty when they are in a member state with very low consumption.

Q&A focusing on the meaning and implication of the word "solidarity" used in the agreement.

Q&A regarding the involvement of the Commission in attempting to strike deals with more reliable partners.

Q&A focusing on the impact of this compromise on the gas prices and energetic safety of households in Poland.