Europe’s hard choices on gas security

EU half measures over storage regulation, geopolitical risks to ending Russian gas, power outage questions and China’s LNG resale leverage make for a challenging path ahead.

The EU revised its gas storage regulation once again in May, aiming to ease summer gas prices and avoid exorbitant refilling costs. Rather than maintaining the original target of 90% minimum fill by 1 November, the new rule now requires only an 83% minimum level at any point between 1 October and 1 December. This change marks a step backward. Instead of providing citizens with a clear, resilient and stable framework, the regulation remains vulnerable to lobbying and interference from member states, undermining its effectiveness.  Rather than wasting time and resources on these incremental and counterproductive adjustments, the EU should consider a fundamental question: is its storage regulat