The Secretariat releases 2024 Annual Report on Storage Regulation Implementation

The Energy Community Secretariat has published its 2024 annual report detailing the progress in the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2022/1032, also known as the Storage Regulation. This regulation mandates the Secretariat to monitor and report on the advancements made by the Contracting Parties in adhering to storage obligations and certifying storage system operators.
 

Key Findings of the Report:

• Serbia and Ukraine, the Contracting Parties with storage facilities, have exceeded their storage targets, surpassing the 90% threshold by a notable margin.
• Moldova has successfully transposed the regulation into national law and put it into practice by storing gas in neighboring countries' facilities, setting an example for other countries without domestic storage capabilities.
• The adaptation of Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 in 2022, which introduced specific gas storage filling targets, has significantly contributed to strengthening the energy security supply, particularly during the winter season of 2023/2024. This measure has been instrumental in mitigating the impacts of the energy shortfall following the war in Ukraine.

Additional Observations:

• The implementation strategies employed by the Contracting Parties predominantly involved non-market measures, with Ukraine incorporating several market-based solutions.
• The report encourages the use of more market-based approaches to the greatest extent feasible.
• While compliance with storage targets has been achieved, there is a need for further integration of the Storage Regulation's elements into national legislation.
• Contracting Parties lacking storage capabilities are urged to follow Moldova’s initiative of meeting storage obligations through arrangements with neighboring countries, aiming for at least 15% of their national demand.
• A template for a burden-sharing mechanism has been developed by the Secretariat to facilitate cooperation between Contracting Parties and EU Member States.

Specific Recommendations:

• Serbia is called upon to certify its storage system operator as required, to align with the mandates of the Storage Regulation.
• Ukraine is encouraged to enhance the attractiveness and trustworthiness of its national gas storage system for foreign operators by addressing regulatory challenges, including those related to gas export restrictions.

The Secretariat remains committed to supporting the Contracting Parties in fully implementing the Storage Regulation and enhancing the overall energy security within the community.