Experts: European countries will steal gas from each other due to...

Under the above title, Elena Savochkina wrote, in Komsomolskaya Pravda, about the fragility of “European solidarity” in the face of the adversity of winter.

The article reads: European politicians are faced with an extraordinary task – how to prevent the inhabitants of the European Union from suffering the cold this winter. And it’s not just about cold weather, which meteorologists expect, but about the complex situation around gas reserves in storage facilities in the ancient world.

The numbers best describe the situation in the European energy market. Right now, gas storage facilities are 71% full, while under a normal scenario, this number should be 20% higher.

“If a severe cold comes, we may see some European countries think like this: ‘We have gas now, so let’s take preventive measures so that no one can export it in the next two weeks,’” says the head of the Italian energy company. Snam SpA Marco Alvera.

Indeed, EU legislation contains standards that directly prohibit such “economic separatism”. But, in fact, this system has not been tested before in conditions of cold and power crisis.

“In practical terms, it will be very difficult to reach an agreement,” says former energy marketer Thierry Bros. “EU members will argue and try to reach an agreement. France, Spain or Poland are unlikely to be happy to help Germany, which is heavily dependent on energy imports.”

However, experts believe that events are likely to develop according to a scenario whereby rich countries, such as Germany, bid to buy supplies intended for poorer members of the European Union.

Aurora Energy Research director Benjamin Cooley sums it up: “If we face a full-fledged energy crisis, politicians will forget about European solidarity and start bailing out their constituents.”

The article expresses only the opinion of the newspaper or the writer

Follow RT on