EU Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen warned on Friday of an energy price crisis linked to supply disruptions caused by the war in Iran, urging member states to consider measures to curb gas and electricity consumption and support storage injections ahead of winter.
In a letter to energy ministers, Jørgensen said the European Union was better prepared than it had been in the winter of 2021, when Russia cut gas supplies to Europe, but stressed that governments needed to step up preparations for the coming months.
We are facing a price crisis linked to a supply crisis
Call to curb demand and support storage
The commissioner urged energy ministers to consider measures that would maintain gas injections into storage facilities or reduce demand for gas and electricity for as long as necessary. The letter calls on governments to consider or continue such measures; it is not an announcement of a new mandatory reduction in consumption.
The European Commission said on September 3 that there was no immediate threat to gas supplies, despite storage levels being lower than in previous years. It attributed the bloc’s improved ability to cope with disruptions to diversified sources, increased liquefied natural gas import capacity and lower gas demand, while prices remained volatile because of the situation in the Middle East.
90% storage target
EU rules require the countries concerned to reach a storage level equal to 90% of facility capacity, with flexibility allowing the target to be met at any time between October 1 and December 1. The rules provide an additional margin of flexibility if countries face difficulties filling storage facilities, in order to avoid adding to price pressures.
Greater reliance on liquefied natural gas
The Commission said Europe’s growing reliance on liquefied natural gas had made its prices more exposed to disruptions in global markets, even though its direct imports from the Gulf were limited. The share of liquefied natural gas in the EU’s imports rose from 20% in 2021 to 45% in 2025, while the share of Russian gas fell from 45% to 12% over the same period.
