Image: (APA/AFP/POOL/NIALL CARSON)
According to the EU Commission on Wednesday, 77 European companies want to order gas together. Together they want to purchase almost twelve billion cubic meters. For comparison: Austria needs about 7 billion cubic meters per year. For providers, the deadline ends next Monday.
The Vice President of the EU Commission, Maros Sefcovic, called the participation “solid”. Originally, more than a hundred companies had signaled interest in the new purchasing platform. The Slovakian did not say whether Austrian companies were involved. The companies come from the “overwhelming majority” of the 27 member countries and from some non-EU countries, said Sefcovic.
pool market power
The EU wants to pool its market power and buy cheaper together. In addition, she wants to become even more independent from Russia, which is excluded from offers. The federal government approved the platform last year after long hesitation. Other countries had accused Germany of acting as the top dog on the gas market.
The order for pipeline and liquefied natural gas (LNG) that has now been published is only a first step, and the contracts for this should be sealed before the summer. According to Sefcovic, there should be new tenders on the world market around every two months. The EU countries want to obtain offers via the platform for at least 15 percent of their respective storage targets.
more from economy
