EU Council adopts common gas rules and reforms electricity market
The Council of the European Union (EU) today gave its final approval to common rules for gas and hydrogen, replacing current EU legislation, and to the reform of the electricity market, to reduce price volatility.
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Economia UE
In a statement, the institution that brings together the Member States indicates that it "adopted today a regulation and a directive that establish common rules for the internal market in renewable and natural gases and hydrogen and that reform the current EU gas legislation".
"The new rules will help to transition to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular hydrogen, in the energy system, with a view to achieving the EU's decarbonisation objectives.
The package in question contains specific rules for the transport, supply and storage of natural gas and hydrogen, in a network planning based on energy efficiency in the first place.
Following today's adoption, the regulation and the directive will now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the European Union, with the former becoming directly applicable six months after publication and the latter providing for a two-year adaptation period.
Also today, the EU Council adopted the reform of the electricity market, which provides for the creation of an energy system based on renewable energies, with greater incorporation of alternative sources compared to gas for less price volatility in electricity bills.
"Consumers across the EU will now benefit from more stable energy prices, less dependence on the price of fossil fuels and better protection against future crises, on the way to a carbon-neutral European Union", the institution indicates.
The regulation on the electricity market formally adopted today amends the current regulation on electricity and must now be signed and published in the Official Journal of the EU so that, 20 days later, it is directly applicable in all Member States.
These new EU laws emerged after, in a context of energy crisis and geopolitical tensions due to the war in Ukraine caused by the Russian invasion, energy prices rose sharply in the EU, which led the Union to bet more on more 'green' energy sources and more reliable alternative suppliers.
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