32017R1938

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THIS REGULATION?

• Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 aims to strengthen European Union (EU) energy security by helping prevent potential gas supply disruptions and responding to them when they occur, to ensure that households and other vulnerable consumers are always supplied.
• The regulation forms part of the energy union package, which aims to make energy secure, affordable and sustainable through closer cooperation between EU Member States.
• Amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 aims to integrate renewable gas and low-carbon gas and hydrogen into the EU’s energy system, while also adapting to new risks, such as cyber threats. Moreover, the amendment will operationalise and extend the solidarity mechanism, which ensures that Member States will provide each other with solidarity gas even in the case of a severe emergency, by guaranteeing that a set of standard rules apply when Member States have not signed bilateral agreements.

KEY POINTS

Security of gas supply is the shared responsibility of natural gas companies, Member States and the European Commission. The main elements of the regulation are the following.

• It encourages better cooperation and coordination between regional groups of Member States to assess common supply risks and to develop and agree on joint preventive and emergency measures. In certain exceptional situations, Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 allows Member States to decide to take temporary measures to reduce the non-essential gas consumption of protected customers. These temporary measures would only be introduced after a detailed assessment by the competent authorities.
• It introduces the solidarity mechanism, through which Member States must help each other to always guarantee gas supply to the most vulnerable consumers – even in severe gas supply situations – under fair compensation conditions by the Member State receiving assistance. Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 introduces a new article setting out rules for cooperation between indirectly connected Member States using market-based measures (voluntary measures).
• It increases transparency by obliging gas companies to notify their national authority of their major long-term gas supply contracts that may be relevant for security of supply. Regulation (EU) 2026/261 extends this obligation to contracts for gas that originates in or is exported from Russia.
• The European Network of Transmission System Operators will carry out a further EU-wide simulation of gas supply and infrastructure disruption scenarios by 1 November 2026.
• Member States have specific obligations to the Energy Community, with the Commission coordinating the legal rules.
• Following the escalation of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine and the need to secure the EU’s gas reserves, amending legislation sets obligations for the filling of underground gas storage on Member States’ territory to specific levels ahead of each winter. Regulation (EU) 2025/1733 further amends this framework by extending the application of the gas storage filling obligations until 31 December 2027 and by adjusting how Member States may meet the storage filling targets ahead of the winter season, including through defined flexibility and monitoring mechanisms.
• In recognising variations in gas storage capacities and national situations, Member States are able to partially meet the storage target by counting stocks of liquefied natural gas or alternative fuels. For Member States with very large storage capacities compared to their domestic gas consumption, the filling obligation for underground stocks was limited to a volume corresponding to 35 % of the average annual gas consumption over the previous five years.
• To strengthen their security of supply, Member States without storage facilities can store 15 % of their annual domestic gas consumption in stocks located in other Member States and thus have access to gas reserves stored in other Member States. An exception was granted to Ireland, Cyprus and Malta for as long as they are not directly interconnected with the gas systems of other Member States. Regulation (EU) 2025/1733 maintains this obligation and further clarifies the applicable deadlines, technical limitations and flexibilities, aligning them with the extended gas storage framework beyond 2025.
• Amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 requires Member States to consider appropriate measures relating to cybersecurity when drawing up their preventive action plans and emergency plans. The Commission will adopt a delegated act setting sector-specific rules for the cybersecurity aspects of cross-border gas flows, including rules on common minimum requirements, planning, monitoring, reporting and crisis management. Moreover, the amendment will operationalise and extend the solidarity mechanism, which ensures that Member States will provide each other with solidarity gas even in case of a severe emergency, by guaranteeing that a set of standard rules apply when Member States have not signed bilateral agreements.

Repeal

The regulation repeals Regulation (EU) No 994/2010.

FROM WHEN DOES THIS REGULATION APPLY?

Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 has applied since 1 November 2017. Changes introduced by amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1789 have applied since 1 January 2025. Further amendments regarding gas storage obligations were made by Regulation (EU) 2025/1733, applicable from 11 September 2025.

BACKGROUND

For further information, see:

• Security of gas supply (European Commission).

MAIN DOCUMENT

Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2017 concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 (OJ L 280, 28.10.2017, pp. 1–56).

Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.

RELATED DOCUMENTS

Directive (EU) 2024/1788 on common rules for the internal markets for renewable gas, natural gas and hydrogen.

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee, the Committee of the Regions and the European Investment Bank. A framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward-looking climate change policy.

Regulation (EU) No 347/2013 on guidelines for trans-European energy infrastructure.

See consolidated version.