“You can forget about solidarity”: why Poland declared its unwillingness to share gas with other EU countries

The occupancy of underground gas storages (UGS) in the EU countries has reached 72.78%.

Such data is provided by the European Gas Infrastructure Association (GIE).

Since the beginning of the month, the indicator has been increasing daily by an average of 0.39 percentage points.

If the current rate of fuel injection into UGS facilities is maintained, by the end of August the EU will be able to reach the target level of storage occupancy of 80%, and by October - to provide its reserves with raw materials by more than 93%.

However, against the backdrop of a decrease in Russian gas supplies, the European Union may still not have enough fuel to survive the winter normally, experts say.

Based on these fears, the cost of raw materials in the EU remains close to $2,200 per 1,000 cubic meters.

m and is approximately five times higher than the values ​​of a year ago.

“The market feels confident that gas storage facilities across the continent will be filled by the end of autumn, as scheduled by the EU.

However, due to the number of concerns regarding supplies in the winter period, caused by a reduction in gas supplies from Russia, prices in the market remain elevated, ”the Danish company Energi Danmark said in a report.

Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell expressed his concern about a possible shortage of gas.

In his blog, the head of EU diplomacy warned of possible problems with fuel in the coming winter.

“Winter comes every year, but the one ahead promises to be special.

There is real uncertainty as to whether the European Union will have enough gas and whether it will be available (at a cost. -

),” Borrell noted.

• Gettyimages.ru

Recall that the pumping of gas through the Nord Stream from Russia to Europe remains at a minimum level due to technical reasons related to sanctions.

At the same time, exports via the Yamal-Europe pipeline stopped due to restrictions from Poland, and Ukraine halved gas transit from Russia through its territory.

Thus, among the highways oriented towards the European Union, only the Turkish Stream is operating at full capacity today.

At the same time, the EU today does not exclude the possibility of a complete halt in Russian gas supplies in the near future.

This, in particular, is stated in the latest report of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM).

“A complete halt in the pumping of Russian gas from August 2022 will lead to the depletion of gas reserves by the end of 2022.

Some countries will suffer more than others.

In particular, this applies to Austria, Belgium, Germany and Italy.

Thus, at the beginning of 2023, it will be necessary to introduce gas consumption rationing,” the authors of the study believe.

Against the stream

The introduction of a rationing system risks turning into a recession in Europe, experts at ESM are sure.

Against this background, in order to prepare for possible interruptions in the supply of raw materials, the EU countries decided to jointly reduce gas consumption by 15% during the heating season.

The corresponding plan came into force on August 9 and will be valid until March 31, 2023.

The initiative provides for exemptions for some EU countries, and the reduction in fuel consumption itself is voluntary.

Nevertheless, in the event of an acute shortage of gas, an all-Union alarm could be declared, and then a reduction in demand would become mandatory.

“It is important that all member states reduce their consumption so that everyone saves more and shares it (gas. -

) with those members that have suffered the most.

Energy solidarity is the main principle of the European agreements,” said the head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.

However, not all countries in the region today are ready to show such solidarity.

For example, the Polish authorities are now actively opposing the EU initiative.

According to Anna Moskva, Minister of Climate and Environment, the European Commission will not be able to force Warsaw to comply with these requirements.

“No one can force us to regulate gas consumption or introduce other restrictive measures.

And even more - we do not want to make decisions in Warsaw on restrictions in other countries ... Infrastructure and gas pipelines, purchased gas are the property of our country.

Only we can decide how to use it, for what needs and to whom to provide, ”TASS quoted the minister as saying.

A similar position was previously expressed by the leadership of Hungary.

As the country's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, the EU proposal to share gas "is somewhat reminiscent of communism."

“Hungarian gas storage facilities will remain the property of Hungary.

Gas bought with the money of Hungarian taxpayers and stored in Hungarian gas storage facilities will be used in Hungary,” Szijjártó emphasized.

According to the GIE, today the Hungarian gas storage facilities are only 55.6% full.

At the same time, Polish UGS facilities are provided with fuel by more than 99%, which is now one of the highest rates in the entire EU in relative terms.

• © RIA Novosti / Alexey Vitvitsky

Under these conditions, Warsaw does not have an urgent need to reduce gas consumption, so the country does not want to endanger its own economy under the compulsion of the European Union.

Igor Yushkov, a leading analyst at the National Energy Security Fund, shared this opinion in a conversation with RT.

“In Poland, the situation with the energy sector is quite stable now, and electricity for enterprises is cheaper compared to other EU countries.

That is, the industry is in a better position than its neighbors, and Polish goods are becoming more competitive, since their production is cheaper.

The Poles want to expand their sales markets while there is an opportunity, and therefore they are not eager to save energy and stop part of the enterprises, ”explained Yushkov.

In addition, as Natalia Milchakova, a leading analyst at Freedom Finance Global, noted in a conversation with RT, the Polish leadership once made quite a lot of efforts to fill its own gas storage facilities.

In this regard, Warsaw can show European solidarity and share gas with other countries only for a certain fee, the expert believes.

“The Poles purchased gas from any source they could: on the spot market, under contracts from the United States, and even from Gazprom, despite all the statements about the rejection of raw materials from the Russian Federation (Russian fuel was reversed from Germany).

Therefore, it is possible that Warsaw may indeed begin to share excess gas from its storage facilities, but, most likely, it will sell fuel at the market price,” Milchakova suggested.

A similar point of view is shared by Igor Yushkov.

According to him, today Poland is already reselling surplus gas receiving capacities when they appear.

At the same time, the country will use its own reserves in winter only for domestic consumption, the analyst is sure.

Moreover, according to the expert, with the advent of cold weather, other EU countries may follow the example of Warsaw.

“In the event of a deficit, European solidarity can be forgotten.

Each country will strive to provide energy to its consumers.

If the politicians do not do this, then the voters will not elect them next time.

The EU, of course, will not fall apart from this, but more pragmatism will definitely appear in the statements of European politicians, ”Yushkov emphasized.

According to the expert, in the near future, gas in Europe will continue to rise in price against the backdrop of growing demand.

The authorities of the region are still trying to compensate for the high cost of energy to the population and businesses through cash injections from the budget.

In particular, we are talking about the provision of various subsidies and tax cuts.

However, the budgetary resources of the EU are limited, and in the event of a further deterioration in the situation with gas, the EU leadership will be forced to disconnect enterprises from energy, the expert believes.

“If this is not enough, then the authorities will be forced to limit the supply of heat to ordinary consumers and social facilities.

The industry, in turn, may refuse to release its products, since with high spending on energy, the final cost of the product also rises, which makes it less in demand.

Thus, all this leads to the de-industrialization of Europe, ”concluded Yushkov.