The preparatory meetings for the European Union leaders summit in Brussels ended today, Wednesday, with a draft resolution that will be presented to the European leaders at their summit scheduled for Thursday, that will achieve a degree of energy security for the peoples of the Union and regulate the purchases of the Union countries for natural gas shipments from global markets with the onset of winter.
The draft decision, which was discussed at the EU ministerial level in preparatory meetings over the past two days, stipulated specific items that the EU Commission considered a roadmap for the near future regarding gas import policies during the next phase.
The provisions of the draft resolution included: the European Union countries adopt a policy of collective purchasing for their needs of imported gas from global markets, and follow a collective European policy when negotiating its purchase with the onset of winter, in a way that secures the Union countries’ needs for energy and heating gas, based on the basis of making gas and energy available to all peoples The countries of the Union, and considering the policy of collective purchase of gas by the Union as the best way to reduce the risks resulting from some member countries of the Union “bidding” and raising prices in their purchasing negotiations with suppliers in the international market, a bid that some of the Union’s lowest-income countries may be unable to achieve.
The items also include: working to reach an agreement by March 2023 on an “indicative price” in the dealings of European governments with gas suppliers in the international market, and the commitment of the countries of the Union in their contracts to this price, although this does not prevent the proposal of a “price correction” when necessary and proposing what is necessary to control This process of specific mechanisms by next March, in order for the European collective pricing mechanisms to be characterized by the due flexibility.
In this regard, the draft law that will be presented to European leaders for adoption at their next summit relies on the principle of the “flexible price limit” as a means of approximating the contractual price discrepancies that European governments will undertake during the next stage.. Experts explained that including this principle in the core of the draft resolution is sufficient to remedy The gap between European countries that call for freedom of price contracting when buying gas, led by Germany and other rich countries and less wealthy European countries that see that they will be subject to outbidding their ability to import gas for their people in accordance with this principle.
The clauses also include: that the countries of the union join together in the event of a shortage in gas supplies or any problems affecting the arrival of gas, and that the solidarity of the countries of the union together is based on an obligation to cooperate in the delivery of what all the countries of the European Union can of gas needs, whether they are linked by networks Gas tanker pipelines or not, and whether they own storage and pumping facilities or not.. In this regard, the European Union Commission stipulated in the draft resolution the establishment of a unified European mechanism for the allocation of gas to operate in emergency situations.
The draft resolution, in addition to the aforementioned four executive clauses, called on the member states of the European Union to work to rationalize their citizens' consumption of natural gas and electricity, as well as work to reduce demand for both and work to create larger reserves of gas by all possible means and in accordance with the previously mentioned control mechanisms. to it, and work to strengthen common European redistribution networks.
The Commission considered, according to the preamble of the draft resolution, that the commitment of the governments of the member states of the Union to what is stipulated in the resolution in spirit and action would improve the state of energy security and the stability of natural gas markets in Europe during the next winter season and perhaps beyond.
The preamble to the expected European decision enumerates other positive aspects, foremost of which is that building a unified European negotiation, purchase, storage and distribution mechanism will reduce price pressures for gas exporters to Europe and will enhance European capacity for price bargaining. Activity on the mechanisms of the European Common Market.

Source: Middle East News Agency