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Gas supply in EU is "guaranteed" but the situation remains serious, EU Commission says

23 June 2022 21:46 (UTC +04:00)

Gas supply in the European Union is “currently guaranteed” but the situation is “to be taken seriously,” the EU Commission says, APA reports citing CNN.

“According to our exchange with the national authorities, the gas security of supply in Germany – and in the EU – is currently guaranteed. Lower inflows of gas from Russia can so far be compensated,” an EU Commission spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.

However, “the situation is to be taken seriously,” it added.

“At this stage, we need to be aware that the situation could deteriorate further. Early Warning Declarations, which constitute the first level of warning foreseen in the SoS Regulation, have been made by nine other EU Member States over the past months, against the backdrop of Russia’s continued use of its gas supplies as a tool for blackmail,” the spokesperson added.

This comes as Germany further raised its warning level on gas supplies on Thursday, following a previous declaration of the Early Warning level. According to the EU Commission, Germany discussed the situation with the Commission and the move is part of the EU’s coordinated action on the matter.

“The risk of full gas disruption is now more real than ever before. That is why, the adoption of the gas storage regulation together with other preparedness measures is so important at this moment,” EU Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans said on Thursday.