European Union countries are expected to agree on Thursday to make joint deals to buy gas to reduce their dependence on Russian production, but remain divided over the electricity price ceiling proposed by Brussels.
After experiencing mass procurement of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic, the European Commission said Wednesday that it is "ready to establish" an EU-wide gas procurement platform to diversify its supply sources.
During their summit on Thursday and Friday, leaders of member states are expected to give the green light, according to the draft conclusions.
Keen to isolate Moscow after its war on Ukraine, the European Union wants to cut its purchases of Russian gas by two-thirds this year.
By aggregating the applications, the commission said it would facilitate contacts with international suppliers and could obtain favorable prices thanks to the economic weight of the union.
The commission, which is already in discussions with major producing countries - Norway, the United States, Qatar and Algeria - added that it will negotiate with suppliers and prepare future energy partnerships.
European coordination to ensure adequate levels of gas reserves
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen met the heads of major European energy groups on Monday.
It is also expected that the Europeans will decide this week to "coordinate to ensure adequate levels of gas stocks".
The Commission wants each member state to fill its reserves to at least 80% of its energy needs by November 1, and then to 90% before each winter in subsequent years, with specific intermediate targets being met from February to October .
This legislative proposal, unveiled on Wednesday, must be approved by the European Union and the European Parliament.
This coincides with the announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday that Russia will only accept payments in rubles for the delivery of gas to "unfriendly countries", including all members of the European Union, after imposing severe sanctions on his country due to its war on Ukraine.
This action comes after foreign countries' freezing of Russian assets destroyed trust between the two parties.