The European Parliament and EU member states have reached an agreement on new rules that will enforce EU governments to fill their gas storage ahead of winter, the European People's Party said.

"This is another unprecedented achievement considering the tight schedule, due to the Russian war in Ukraine. What is at stake here, is securing gas supplies for next winter for all Europeans - citizens, protected customers, SMEs, energy-intensive industries. This is why it is remarkable that we now have an EU-wide target for filling gas storages by 1 November 2022", declared Jerzy Buzek MEP, the European Parliament Chief Negotiator on the Gas Storage Regulation.

Due to Russia's military aggression in Ukraine and soaring energy prices, EU countries have committed to filling underground gas storage facilities on their territory, aiming for 85% - at least - of their capacity by 1 November 2022. The filling target shall be set at 90% for the following years.

"Data shows that the storage facilities supply 25-30% of gas consumed every winter. In addition, storage facilities are considered critical infrastructure and contribute to absorbing price and supply shocks," Buzek said. "Therefore, we are putting in place a mechanism which will ensure that gas storages in the EU are no longer controlled by those who fuel speculative price rises and supply crises," he added.

The European Parliament intends to vote on the agreement in the June plenary session.

On Thursday, the European Parliament voted on a resolution encouraging the EU to penalise Europeans who remain on the boards of major Russian companies.

The resolution, which was passed by a show of hands, applauds the EU's "legitimate sanctions" against Russia while urging it to go further. It urges the EU to "expand the list of individuals targeted by EU sanctions to European members of large Russian company boards of directors and politicians who continue to receive Russian money." 

This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about msatters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author's view. The European Parliament is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.