Red. anm.: Forordning (EU) nr. 994/2010 ble av EØS/EFTA-landene ikke ansett som relevant for innlemmelse i EØS-avtalen.

BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsforslaget, engelsk utgave)

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal
The purpose of the draft regulation is to ensure that all Member States put in place appropriate tools to prepare for and manage the effects of a gas shortage due to a disruption in supply or exceptionally high demand. There are three levels of responsibility for the security of the gas supply. It is natural gas undertakings, subject to market mechanisms, that bear the primary responsibility for the gas supply. In the event of market failure in a given Member State, the competent authorities of that Member State and of the Member States in the region are responsible for taking appropriate measures to secure the gas supply to protected customers. At another level, the European Commission provides general coordination and ensures that the measures taken are consistent with one another.

To meet this objective, the draft regulation proposes stronger regional coordination, with certain principles and standards being set at EU level. The approach proposed is that Member States should cooperate closely within their regions when conducting regional risk assessments. To ensure EU-wide consistency, regional risk assessments will be conducted on the basis of an EU-wide simulation, with common standards and a specific scenario. Risks identified through regional risk assessments will be addressed in regional preventive action plans and emergency plans, to be peer-reviewed and approved by the Commission.

To ensure that risk assessments and plans are comprehensive and consistent with one another, the Regulation sets out mandatory templates listing aspects that must be taken into account when conducting the risk assessment and drawing up the plans. Regional cooperation must be improved, as a disruption of the gas supply can easily affect several Member States at the same time. National risk assessments and plans are not well suited to tackling such situations.

The Regulation also improves the application of the supply standard to protected customers (mainly households) and the infrastructure standard (the possibility of supplying gas even if the largest infrastructure is not available). It enables permanent bi-directional capacity. Finally, it proposes the introduction of additional transparency measures concerning gas supply contracts; as such contracts may affect security of supply in the EU.

Five years after the adoption of Regulation 994/2010, the security of the gas supply remains a highly topical issue, given the tensions prevailing between Ukraine and Russia. Efforts are being made at national and EU level to enhance the security of gas supplies for the winter of 2015/2016 and beyond.