Dutch Government Seeks Market-Driven EU Gas Storage Policy
The Netherlands is pushing for a market-driven EU gas storage policy after 2027. According to Minister Stientje van Veldhoven, the current method of overseeing natural gas storage places an excessively heavy load on member states with large storage volumes.
The minister noted that the Netherlands ranks third within the EU for storage capacity and has borne a disadvantageous load due to its storage facilities being comparatively large relative to domestic consumption. She emphasized that the existing EU framework provides no mechanism for recovering these additional costs from other member states or foreign purchasers.
The Dutch government wants to focus on reviving a market that performs effectively under ordinary circumstances while reinforcing resilience in extreme situations. If storage targets are maintained, they would prefer them to be placed on market participants instead of member states.