EU agrees to buy gas jointly and opens common purchase platform to Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine

On 25 March, the European Council announced new measures to diminish European dependence on Russian energy, including a common purchase platform that will be open to the three associated Eastern Partners, namely Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, and Georgia.

EU leaders agreed that member states would work together on voluntary common purchase of gas, LNG and hydrogen. “We will join forces, pool our demand and use our collective bargaining power when purchasing gas,” wrote European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Twitter. 

The common purchases platform will also be open to Western Balkan countries and the three associated Eastern Partners.

EU leaders also tasked the Council of the European Union to take forward a Commission proposal on EU gas storage policy considering the refilling of gas storage across the Union as soon as possible. 

With a view to next winter, member states and the Commission will urgently work on ensuring the security of supplies for all member states.

Von der Leyen added in another tweet that ​​the EU must complete pipeline infrastructure and ramp up its storage: “This will be our insurance policy against supply disruption. It is also time to look at the design of our energy market. We will present options in May.”

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