The Obligation of Strategic Gas Storage Introduced in Poland as an Example of a Public Service Obligation Relating to Supply Security: A Question of Compliance with European Law

• Authors: Maria Mordwa
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

This paper presents the system for the strategic storage of gas imposed by the Act on Fuel Reserves and evaluates its compliance with the relevant provisions of EU law, in particular the so-called 2nd and 3rd Internal Energy Market Packages. Unlike the case of legislation on strategic oil stocks, EU legislation on gas does not impose on Member States any obligation to maintain strategic reserves of gas. Furthermore, Member States are obliged to implement common rules establishing an internal market in natural gas including Third Party Access (TPA) to storage facilities. However, Member States are allowed to impose on undertakings operating in the gas sector, in the general economic interest, public service obligations which may relate to supply security, and EU law recognizes the contribution of gas storage to the security of supply. Thus, the objective of this article is to evaluate whether the Act on Fuel Reserves as well as the amendments to it proposed by the Polish Ministry of the Economy are in line with the relevant provisions of EU law. The analysis includes the position of the Court of Justice presented in several judgements as regards the concept of public service obligations .

FR

Ce document présente le système de stockage stratégique de gaz imposé par la loi sur les réserves en essence et évalue la conformité de ce système avec les provisions de la loi européenne et plus particulièrement les 2ème et 3ème paquets sur le marché interieur de l’ énergie. Contrairement à certaines législations sur les stocks pétroliers stratégiques, la législation européenne pour le gaz n’impose pas aux États membres une obligation de maintenir un stock stratégique en gaz. En outre, les États membres sont obligés d’appliquer des règles communes établissant un marché interne du gaz comprenant de l’accès des tiers aux installations de stockage. Cependant, ils sont autorisés à imposer aux entreprises opérant dans le secteur du gaz, dans l’intérêt économique général, des obligations de service public qui peuvent porter sur la sécurité d’approvisionnement et les lois européennes reconnaissent les installations de stockage comme un moyen essentiel, entre autres, de mettre en oeuvre les obligations de service public telle que la sécurité des approvisionnements. Donc l’objectif de cet article est d’évaluer si la loi sur les réserves en fuel et ses amendements proposés par le ministère de l’économie polonaise sont en accord avec les lois européennes correspondante. Cette analyse inclus notamment plusieurs jugements de Cour de justice concernant les obligations de service public.

Keywords

EN

public services obligations; security of supply of natural gas; obligation of strategic gas storage; TPA to storage facilities

• Publisher: Uniwersytet Warszawski. Wydział Nauk Ekonomicznych
• Journal: Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 4(4)
• Pages: 57-82

Dates

published

2011-06-01

Contributors

author

Maria Mordwa

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