### as long as the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state having declared the emergency is not satisfied , despite the application of the measure in paragraph 1 , the gas supply to customers other than households , essential social services and district heating installations in any other member state , directly connected to the member state which declared the emergency , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member states having declared the emergency . ### as long as gas supply to protected customers in the member state that have called for the application of solidarity measures is not satisfied , the gas supply to protected customers in any other member state , directly connected to that member state , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the protected customers in the member states having declared the emergency .


### natural gas remains an essential component of the energy supply of the union . a large proportion of such gas is imported into the union from third countries . ### natural gas remains an essential component of the energy supply of the union . a large proportion of such gas is imported into the union from third countries , of which one is notable for being the single largest supplier .


### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , commercial , financial , social , political and market - related risks , and any other relevant ones , including , where appropriate , the disruption of the supplies from the single largest supplier . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in the preventive action plan and the emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all hazard risk assessments foreseen under article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism . ### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , infrastructural , commercial , financial , social , political , market - related , and any other relevant risks , including , where appropriate , disruption of supplies from dominant suppliers . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in preventive action plan and emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all risk assessments provided for in article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism .


### disruption of supplies from third country suppliers , as well as , where appropriate , geopolitical risks ; ### disruption of supplies from third country suppliers , as well as geopolitical risks that may directly or indirectly affect the member state by increased dependence or by one supplier achieving a dominant position on the european gas market ;


### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of the action to take in the event of an emergency , allowing all market participants sufficient opportunity to react and also prepare for such circumstances . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore abide by their emergency plan . in duly justified exceptional circumstances , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . it is also important to make the way in which emergencies are announced more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is set out in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available to competent authorities and the national regulatory authorities , if the latter are not the competent authority on a real time basis . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks . ### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of actions to be taken in the event of an emergency , granting all market participants sufficient opportunity to prepare for such situations and react to them . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore comply with their emergency plan . in exceptional circumstances and on reasonable grounds , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . the manner in which emergencies are announced should be more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is laid down in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available on a real - time basis to the competent authorities and to the national regulatory authorities , if they are not the competent authorities . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks .


### an internal gas market that operates smoothly is the best guarantee of security of energy supply across the union and to reduce the exposure of individual member states to the harmful effects of supply disruptions . where a member state ' s security of supply is threatened , there is a risk that measures developed unilaterally by that member state may jeopardise the proper functioning of the internal gas market and damage the gas supply to customers in other member states . to allow the internal gas market to function even in the face of a shortage of supply , provision must be made for solidarity and coordination in the response to supply crises , as regards both preventive action and the reaction to actual disruptions of supply . ### a well - interconnected and well - functioning internal gas market , free of ' energy islands ' , is the best means by which to ensure security of gas supply across the union while reducing the exposure of individual member states to harmful effects of supply disruptions . where a member state ' s security of gas supply is threatened , there is a risk that measures developed unilaterally by that member state may damage gas supply to customers in other member states , negatively affecting the proper functioning of the internal gas market . to allow the internal gas market to function even in the face of a shortage of supply , provision must be made for solidarity and coordination at regional and union level as regards both preventive action and reaction to actual disruptions of supply .


### in march 2015 , the european council concluded that gas supply contracts with suppliers from third countries should be made more transparent and compatible with the union energy security provisions . in this context an efficient and targeted mechanism for member states ' access to key gas supply contracts should ensure a comprehensive assessment of relevant risks that can lead to a supply disruption or interfere with the necessary mitigating measures should a crisis nevertheless occur . under that mechanism certain key gas supply contracts should be automatically notified , immediately after their conclusion , to the member states . however , any obligation to notify a contract automatically needs to be proportionate . applying this obligation to contracts between a supplier and a buyer covering 40% of the national market strikes the right balance in terms of administrative efficiency and lays down clear obligations for market participants . this does not mean that other gas supply contracts are not relevant to security of supply . accordingly , member states should have the right to request other contracts which might negatively affect security of supply of a member state or region or of the union as a whole . the commission should have the same access to the gas supply contracts as member states , given its role in assessing the consistency and effectiveness of the preventive action plans and emergency plans to address risks to security of supply at national , regional and eu level . the commission may call on the member states to amend the plans so as to take account of the information obtained from the contracts . the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information should be ensured . improved commission access to information on commercial contracts should not affect the commission ' s ongoing efforts to monitor the gas market , and the commission should intervene if violations of the union law are identified . the provisions of this regulation should be without prejudice to the right of the commission to launch infringement proceedings in accordance with article 258 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union and to enforce competition rules , including state aid . ### completing the internal energy market will create a level playing field , ensuring that all energy supply contracts throughout the union are based on market prices and competition rules . in march 2015 , the european council concluded that gas supply contracts with suppliers from third countries should be made more transparent and compatible with the union energy security provisions . in this context an efficient and targeted mechanism for member states ' access to key gas supply contracts should ensure a comprehensive assessment of relevant risks that can lead to a supply disruption or interfere with the necessary mitigating measures should a crisis nevertheless occur . under that mechanism certain key gas supply contracts should be automatically notified , immediately after their conclusion , to the member states . however , any obligation to notify a contract automatically needs to be proportionate . applying this obligation to contracts between a supplier or its affiliates and a buyer or its affiliates that jointly cover at least 40 % of imports from third countries to the member state strikes the right balance in terms of administrative efficiency and lays down clear obligations for market participants . this does not automatically imply that other gas supply contracts are not relevant to security of supply . accordingly , member states should have the right to request other contracts which might negatively affect security of supply of a member state or a region or the union . the commission should have the same access to the gas supply contracts as member states , given its role in assessing the consistency and effectiveness of the preventive action plans and the emergency plans to address risks to security of supply at national , regional and union level . the commission should be able to request member states to amend the plans so as to take account of the information obtained from the contracts . the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information should be ensured . increased commission access to information on commercial contracts should not affect the commission ' s ongoing efforts to monitor the gas market , and the commission should intervene if violations of the union law are identified . the provisions of this regulation should be without prejudice to the right of the commission to launch infringement proceedings in accordance with article 258 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union and to enforce competition rules , including with regard to state aid .


### where the commission considers that the gas supply in a region or the union as whole is affected or is likely to be affected it may require the competent authorities to collect and submit to the commission information necessary to assess the situation of the gas supply in the union . the commission may share its assessment with the gas coordination group . ### where the commission considers that the gas supply in a region or the union as whole is affected or is likely to be affected it may require the competent authorities to collect and submit to the commission information necessary to assess the situation of the gas supply in the union . the commission shall share its assessment with the gas coordination group .


### to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances as regards security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of regions and templates for risk assessment and plans . it is particularly important that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level . when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , it should ensure that relevant documents are simultaneously sent to the european parliament and the council , in good time and in the appropriate manner . ### in order to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances with regard to security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 tfeu should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of the structure of the emergency supply corridors and the templates for risk assessments , preventive action plans and emergency plans . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level and involving the competent authorities and the national regulatory authorities where they are not the competent authorities , and that those consultations be concluded in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 . in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts .


### the commission , on the basis of the assessments referred to in article 7 shall , when appropriate , draw conclusions as to possible means to enhance security of supply at union level and report to the european parliament and the council on the implementation of this regulation , including , where necessary , recommendations for improvement of this regulation . ### the commission , on the basis of the assessments referred to in article 7 shall , when appropriate , draw conclusions as to possible means to enhance security of gas supply at union level and submit a report to the european parliament and to the council on the implementation of this regulation , including , where necessary , for a legislative proposal to amend this regulation .


### in so far as an investment for enabling or enhancing permanent bi - directional capacity is not required by the market and where that investment incurs costs in more than one member state or in one member state for the benefit of another member state , the national regulatory authorities of all member states concerned shall jointly decide on cost allocation before any investment decision is taken . the cost allocation shall in particular take into account the proportion of the benefits of the infrastructure investments for the increase of security of supply of the member states concerned as well as investments already made in the infrastructure in question . ### in so far as an investment for enabling or enhancing permanent bi - directional capacity is not required by the market and where that investment incurs costs in more than one member state or in one member state for the benefit of another member state , the national regulatory authorities of all member states concerned shall jointly decide on cost allocation in accordance with article 12 of regulation 347 / 2013 before any investment decision is taken . the cost allocation shall in particular take into account the proportion of the benefits of the infrastructure investments for the increase of the security of gas supply of the member states concerned as well as investments already made in the infrastructure in question .


### by 1 november 2017 entso for gas shall carry out a union wide simulation of supply and infrastructure disruption scenarios . the scenarios shall be defined by entso for gas in consultation with the gas coordination group . the competent authorities shall provide entso for gas with the necessary data for the simulations such as peak demand values , production capacity and demand side measures . the competent authorities shall take into account the results of the simulations for the preparation of the risk assessments , preventive action plans and emergency plans . the union - wide simulation of supply and infrastructure disruption scenarios shall be updated every four years unless circumstances warrant more frequent updates . ### the competent authorities shall take into account the results of the union wide simulations carried out by entso for gas for the preparation of the risk assessments , preventive action plans and emergency plans .


### the commission communication ' framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward - looking climate change policy ' 14 from february 2015 , highlights the fact that the energy union rests on solidarity and trust , which are necessary features of energy security . this regulation should aim to boost solidarity and trust between the member states and should put in place the measures needed to achieve these aims , thus paving the way for implementing the energy union . __________________ 14 communication from the commission to the european parliament and the council , the european economic and social committee , the committee of the regions and the european investment bank , com 80 final . ### energy security constitutes one of the objectives of the energy union strategy , as set out in the commission communication of 25 february 2015 , entitled ' framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward - looking climate change policy ' . the communication highlighted the fact that the energy union rests on solidarity , a principle enshrined in article 194 teu , and trust , which are necessary features of energy security . this regulation is intended to boost solidarity and trust between the member states and put in place the measures needed to achieve these aims , thus paving the way for achieving a vital objective of the energy union .


### no later than 31 march 2017 member states shall notify the commission their definition of protected customers , the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage they represent of the total annual final gas consumption in that member state . where a member state includes in its definition of protected customers the categories referred to in point or of article 2 it shall specify in the notification to the commission the gas consumption volumes corresponding to consumers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of consumers represents in terms of the annual final use of gas . ### no later than 31 march 2017 member states shall notify the commission the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage they represent of the total annual final gas consumption in that member state .


### to the competent authority and to the commission immediately after their conclusion or modification the gas supply contracts with a duration of more than 1 year concluded or modified after [ op : please insert the date of entry in force of this regulation ] that individually or cumulatively with other contracts with the same supplier or its affiliates provide more than 40% of yearly natural gas consumption in the member state concerned . the notification obligation shall not apply to the modifications related only to the gas price . the notification obligation shall also apply to all commercial agreements relevant for the execution of the gas supply contract . ### to the competent authority and to the commission immediately after their conclusion or modification the gas supply contracts with the same supplier from a third country or from its affiliates , with a duration of more than 1 year concluded or modified after [ op : please insert the date of entry in force of this regulation ] that individually or cumulatively with contracts of other natural gas undertakings on the same market with the same supplier or its affiliates provide more than 40% of total annual gas imports from third countries to the member state concerned . the notification obligation shall not apply to the gas price . the notification obligation shall also apply to all commercial agreements relevant for the execution of the gas supply contract . to that end , the national regulatory authorities shall monitor the market supply structure and inform the relevant natural gas undertakings once the 40% threshold is exceeded .


### taking into account all relevant national and regional circumstances , in particular market size , network configuration , actual flows , including outflows from the member states concerned , the possibility of physical gas flows in both directions including the potential need for consequent reinforcement of the transmission system , the presence of production and storage and the role of gas in the energy mixes , in particular with respect to district heating and electricity generation and for the operation of industries , and safety and gas quality considerations ; ### taking into account all relevant national and regional circumstances , in particular preventive action plans and emergency plans developed under regulation no 994 / 2010 , updated as appropriate , market size , network configuration , actual flows , including outflows from the member states concerned , the possibility of physical gas flows in both directions including the potential need for consequent reinforcement of the transmission system , the presence of production and storage and the role of gas in the energy mixes , in particular with respect to district heating and electricity generation and for the operation of industries , and safety and gas quality considerations ;


### the technical , legal and financial arrangements for the application of paragraph 3 shall be agreed among the member states which are directly connected to each other and described in the emergency plans of their respective regions . such arrangements may cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the coverage of compensation costs . market - based measures such as auctions shall be preferred for the implementation of the obligation laid down in paragraph 3 . in case the technical , legal and financial arrangements necessary to apply paragraph 3 are amended , the relevant emergency plan shall be updated accordingly . ### the technical , legal and financial arrangements for the application of paragraph 3 shall be agreed at the regional and inter - regional levels and described in the emergency plans . such arrangements may cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the shared responsibility for compensation costs . market - based measures such as auctions shall be preferred for the implementation of the obligation laid down in paragraph 3 . those gas prices and compensation costs and mechanisms shall be reviewed regularly . in case the technical , legal and financial arrangements necessary to apply paragraph 3 are amended , the relevant emergency plan shall be updated accordingly . by 31 march 2019 , the commission shall prepare guidelines and a list of best practices aimed at facilitating those arrangements .


### the second sentence of article 3 , article 3 , article 4 , and , article 5 , point of article 6 , points and of article 7 , points , , , of article 8 , point and of article 8 , points and of article 9 , article 9 , article 10 , article 11 and article 12 shall create obligations for the members states towards an energy community contracting party subject to the following procedure : ### the second sentence of article 3 , article 3 , article 4 , and , article 5 , point of article 6 , points and of article 7 , points , , , of article 8 , point and of article 8 , points and of article 9 , article 9 , article 10 , article 11 and article 12 shall create obligations for all members states towards an energy community contracting party subject to the following procedure :


### to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances as regards security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of regions and templates for risk assessment and plans . it is particularly important that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level . when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , it should ensure that relevant documents are simultaneously sent to the european parliament and the council , in good time and in the appropriate manner . ### to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances as regards security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of templates for risk assessment and plans . it is particularly important that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level . when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , it should ensure that relevant documents are simultaneously sent to the european parliament and the council , in good time and in the appropriate manner .


### this regulation establishes provisions aimed at safeguarding the security of gas supply by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas , by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the required gas supplies and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities among natural gas undertakings , the member states and the union regarding both preventive action and the reaction to concrete disruptions of supply . this regulation also provides transparent mechanisms , in a spirit of solidarity , for the coordination of planning for , and response to , an emergency at member state , regional and union levels . ### this regulation establishes provisions aimed at safeguarding , in the spirit of solidarity , the security of gas supply by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas , by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the required gas supplies and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities among natural gas undertakings , the member states and the union regarding both preventive action and reaction to concrete disruptions of supply . this regulation also provides for transparent mechanisms for the coordination of planning for , and response to , an emergency at member state , regional and union level .


### in duly justified circumstances irrespective of a declaration of emergency , the competent authority may require gas undertakings to provide the information referred to in paragraph 1 or additional information necessary to assess the overall situation of the gas supply in the member state or other member states , including contractual information . the commission may request from the competent authorities the information provided by natural gas undertakings . ### irrespective of a declaration of emergency , the competent authority may require natural gas undertakings to provide the information referred to in paragraph 1 or additional information necessary to assess the overall situation of the gas supply in the member state or other member states , including contractual information . the commission may request from the competent authorities the information provided by natural gas undertakings .


### the technical , legal and financial arrangements for the application of paragraph 3 shall be agreed among the member states which are directly connected to each other and described in the emergency plans of their respective regions . such arrangements may cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the coverage of compensation costs . market - based measures such as auctions shall be preferred for the implementation of the obligation laid down in paragraph 3 . in case the technical , legal and financial arrangements necessary to apply paragraph 3 are amended , the relevant emergency plan shall be updated accordingly . ### the technical and financial arrangements necessary to apply the provisions contained in paragraph 2 shall be agreed according to the following level - based approach concerning the supply standard , based on the actual situation on the market , as provided by the monitoring systems in place for emergency situations : – bilateral / regional level – inter - regional – eu - wide such arrangements may cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the coverage of compensation costs . in case the affected member state cannot address individually the coverage of the compensation costs , they shall be shared at eu level .


### to assess the security of supply situation of a given member state or region or of the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need regular access to information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of supply policies . under duly justified circumstances , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins . it could , for example , be requested in the event of changes in the pattern of the gas supply to a given buyer or buyers in a member state which would not be expected if the markets were functioning normally and which could affect the gas supply of the union or parts of it . ### to assess the security of gas supply situation of a given member state , a region or the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need access to relevant and non - confidential information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of gas supply policies . under duly justified circumstances , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins .


### the competent authority shall require the natural gas undertakings , that it identifies , to take measures to ensure the supply of gas to the protected customers of the member state in each of the following cases : ### the national regulatory authority shall require the natural gas undertakings , that it identifies , to take measures to ensure the supply of gas to the protected customers of the member state in each of the following cases :


### one of the union goals is to strengthen the energy community that would ensure effective implementation of the union energy acquis , energy market reforms and incentivising investments in the energy sector by closer integration of the union and energy community energy markets . this entails also introducing common crisis management by proposing preventive and emergency plans at the regional level including the energy community contracting parties . furthermore , the commission communication on the short term resilience of the european gas system from october 2014 refers to the need to apply internal energy market rules on the flow of energy between the union member states and the energy community contracting parties . in this regard , in order to ensure an efficient crisis management on borders between the union member states and the contracting parties , the necessary arrangements following the adoption of a joint act should be set so that specific cooperation with any individual energy community contracting party can take place once the required mutual provisions have been duly put into place . . ### one of the union goals is to strengthen the energy community in order to ensure effective implementation of the union energy acquis , energy market reforms and incentives to invest in the energy sector by closer integration of the union and energy community energy markets . this also entails introducing common crisis management by proposing preventive action plans and emergency plans at the regional level including the energy community contracting parties . furthermore , the commission communication of 16 october 2014 on the short term resilience of the european gas system refers to the need to apply internal energy market rules on the flow of energy between the union member states and energy community contracting parties . in this regard , in order to ensure efficient crisis management on borders between the union member states and the energy community contracting parties , necessary arrangements following the adoption of a joint act should be set so that specific cooperation with any individual energy community contracting party can take place once the required mutual provisions have been duly put into place .


### the technical , legal and financial arrangements for the application of paragraph 3 shall be agreed among the member states which are directly connected to each other and described in the emergency plans of their respective regions . such arrangements may cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the coverage of compensation costs . market - based measures such as auctions shall be preferred for the implementation of the obligation laid down in paragraph 3 . in case the technical , legal and financial arrangements necessary to apply paragraph 3 are amended , the relevant emergency plan shall be updated accordingly . ### the technical , legal and financial arrangements for the application of paragraph 3 shall be agreed among the member states which are directly connected to each other and described in the emergency plans of their respective regions . such arrangements shall cover , among others , gas prices to be applied , use of interconnectors , including guaranteed bi - directional capacity , gas volumes and the coverage of compensation costs . acer may act as a facilitator in calculating the compensation costs . market - based measures such as auctions shall be preferred for the implementation of the obligation laid down in paragraph 3 . in case the technical , legal and financial arrangements necessary to apply paragraph 3 are amended , the relevant emergency plan shall be updated accordingly . the commission shall prepare guidelines for templates for the solidarity measures , including model clauses , and publish them by … [ entry into force of the solidarity mechanism ] ;


### natural gas remains an essential component of the energy supply of the union . a large proportion of such gas is imported into the union from third countries . ### natural gas is an essential component of the energy supply of the union . this makes security of gas supply a key element of the union ' s overall energy security , with relevance to the union ' s competitiveness and growth . even though more than 50&#160 ; % of gas consumption in the union and the rest of the european economic area is currently covered by domestic production , a growing proportion of gas is imported from third countries . enhancing the union ' s energy security and making its gas market more resilient thus requires creating a stable , market - based regulatory framework for developing gas production from domestic sources , increasing energy efficiency as well as addressing dependence on dominant external suppliers .


### regulation no 994 / 2010 requires transmission system operators to enable permanent bi - directional capacity on all cross - border interconnections unless an exemption has been granted from this obligation . it aims to ensure that the possible benefits of permanent bi - directional capacity are always taken into account when a new interconnector is planned . however , bi - directional capacity can be used to supply gas both to the neighbouring member state and to others along the gas supply corridor . the benefits for security of supply of enabling permanent bi - directional capacity thus need to be seen in a broader perspective , in a spirit of solidarity and enhanced cooperation . a cost - benefit analysis that takes account of the whole transportation corridor should therefore be conducted when considering whether to implement bi - directional capacity . the competent authorities should accordingly be required to re - examine the exemptions granted under regulation 994 / 2010 on the basis of the results of the regional risk assessments . ### regulation no 994 / 2010 requires transmission system operators to enable permanent bi - directional capacity on all cross - border interconnections unless an exemption has been granted from this obligation . it aims to ensure that the possible benefits of permanent bi - directional capacity are always taken into account when a new interconnector is planned . however , bi - directional capacity can be used to supply gas both to the neighbouring member state and to others along the gas supply corridor . the benefits to the security of gas supply of enabling permanent bi - directional capacity need to be seen from a broader perspective , in a spirit of solidarity and enhanced cooperation . a cost - benefit analysis that takes account of the whole transportation corridor should be conducted when considering whether to implement bi - directional capacity . the competent authorities should be required to re - examine the exemptions granted under regulation no 994 / 2010 on the basis of the results of regional risk assessments .


### the risk assessment once agreed by all member states in the region shall be notified to the commission for the first time no later than on 1 september 2018 . the risk assessment shall be updated every four years unless circumstances warrant more frequent updates . the risk assessment shall take account of progress made in investments needed to cope with the infrastructure standard defined in article 4 and of country - specific difficulties encountered in the implementation of new alternative solutions . it shall also build on the experience acquired through the simulation of the emergency plans contained in article 9 . ### the regional chapter on risk assessment once agreed by all connected member states , cooperating pursuant to article 3 shall be notified to the commission for the first time no later than on 1 september 2018 . the risk assessment shall be updated every four years unless circumstances warrant more frequent updates . the risk assessment shall take account of progress made in investments needed to cope with the infrastructure standard defined in article 4 and of country - specific difficulties encountered in the implementation of new alternative solutions . it shall also build on the experience acquired through the simulation of the emergency plans contained in article 9 .


### when implementing the measures provided for in this regulation , the competent authority shall establish the roles and responsibilities of the different actors involved in such a way as to ensure that a three - level approach is respected which involves first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union . ### when implementing the measures provided for in this regulation , the competent authority shall establish the roles and responsibilities of the different actors involved in such a way as to ensure a three - level approach which involves first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union .


### to provide input to the risk assessments , the european network of transmission system operators for gas , in consultation with the gas coordination group and with the european network of transmission system operators for electricity , should carry out union - wide simulations similar to the stress test conducted in 2014 . ### to provide input to the risk assessments , the european network of transmission system operators for gas , after consulting the gas coordination group and the european network of transmission system operators for electricity , should carry out union - wide simulations similar to the stress test conducted in 2014 . such simulations should be updated at least every two years . as a means of strengthening regional cooperation by providing information about gas flows as well as providing technical and operational expertise , the regional coordination system for gas , established by the entso for gas and composed of standing expert groups , should be involved in carrying out simulations .


### to ensure maximum preparedness , so as to avoid a supply disruption and mitigate its effects should it nevertheless occur , the competent authorities of a given region must draw up preventive action plans and emergency , after consulting stakeholders . regional plans should take account of the specific characteristics of each member state . they should also clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the natural gas undertakings and the competent authorities . national measures to be designed should take fully account of the regional measures set out in the preventive action plan and emergency plan . they should be so designed as to address national risks in a way that takes full advantage of the opportunities provided by regional cooperation . the plans should be technical and operational in nature , their function being to help prevent the occurrence or escalation of an emergency and to mitigate its effects . the plans should take the security of electricity systems into account and be consistent with the energy union ' s strategic planning and reporting tools . ### to ensure maximum preparedness , so as to avoid a supply disruption and mitigate the effects of such a disruption should it nevertheless occur , the competent authorities of a given region should draw up preventive action plans and emergency plans , after consulting the stakeholders . regional plans should take account of the specific characteristics of each member state . they should also clearly define the roles and responsibilities of the natural gas undertakings and the competent authorities . national measures to be designed should take fully account of the regional measures set out in the preventive action plan and emergency plan . they should be designed so as to address national risks in a way that takes full advantage of the opportunities provided by regional cooperation . the plans should be technical and operational in nature , their function being to help prevent the occurrence or escalation of an emergency and to mitigate its effects . the plans should take the security of electricity systems into account and be consistent with the energy union ' s strategic planning and reporting tools .


### a major disruption of the gas supply can affect all member states , the union as a whole and contracting parties to the treaty establishing the energy community , signed in athens on 25 october 2005 . it can also severely damage the union economy and can have a major social impact , particularly on vulnerable groups of customers . ### the high level of interdependence of member states and european third countries is also a feature of the field of energy . a major disruption of gas supply in one country can affect multiple other member states , the union or contracting parties to the treaty establishing the energy community . it can weaken overall security , severely damage the economy and have a major social impact , particularly on vulnerable groups of customers , especially in countries which are overly dependent on a single dominant supplier .


### the commission communication ' framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward - looking climate change policy ' 14 from february 2015 , highlights the fact that the energy union rests on solidarity and trust , which are necessary features of energy security . this regulation should aim to boost solidarity and trust between the member states and should put in place the measures needed to achieve these aims , thus paving the way for implementing the energy union . __________________ 14 communication from the commission to the european parliament and the council , the european economic and social committee , the committee of the regions and the european investment bank , com 80 final . ### energy security constitutes one of the objectives of the energy union strategy , as set out in the commission communication of 25 february 2015 , entitled ' framework strategy for a resilient energy union with a forward - looking climate change policy ' . the communication highlighted the fact that the energy union rests on solidarity , a principle enshrined in article 194 teu , and trust , which are necessary features of energy security . this regulation is intended to boost solidarity and trust between the member states and put in place the measures needed to achieve these aims , thus paving the way for achieving a vital objective of the energy union .


### the roles and responsibilities of all natural gas undertakings and competent authorities should therefore be defined precisely in order to keep the internal gas market functioning properly , particularly in the event of supply disruptions and crises . such roles and responsibilities should be established in such a way as to ensure that a three - level approach is respected which would involve first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union . this regulation should enable natural gas undertakings and customers to rely on market mechanisms for as long as possible when coping with disruptions . however , it should also provide for mechanisms that can be deployed when markets alone are no longer able to deal adequately with a gas supply disruption . ### the roles and responsibilities of all natural gas undertakings and competent authorities should therefore be defined precisely in order to keep the internal gas market functioning properly , particularly in the event of supply disruptions and crises . such roles and responsibilities should be established in such a way as to ensure that a three - level approach is respected which would involve first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union . to that end , effective information - sharing across all levels should provide early warning with regard to disruption and the means of mitigation . this regulation is intended to enable natural gas undertakings and customers to rely on market mechanisms for as long as possible when coping with disruptions . however , it is also intended to provide for mechanisms that can be deployed when markets alone are no longer able to deal adequately with a gas supply disruption .


### the member states acting on their own cannot satisfactorily achieve the objective of this regulation , namely to guarantee a secure gas supply within the union . given the scale or effects of the action , it is better achieved at union level . the union may therefore adopt measures , in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity set out in article 5 of the treaty on european union . in accordance with the principle of proportionality set out in that article , this regulation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve that objective . ### since the objective of this regulation , namely to guarantee a secure gas supply within the union , cannot be sufficiently achieved by member states acting on their own , but can rather , by reason of its scale and effects , be better achieved at union level , the union may adopt measures , in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in article 5 of the treaty on european union . in accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in that article , this regulation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve that objective .


### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , commercial , financial , social , political and market - related risks , and any other relevant ones , including , where appropriate , the disruption of the supplies from the single largest supplier . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in the preventive action plan and the emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all hazard risk assessments foreseen under article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism . ### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , infrastructural , commercial , financial , social , political , market - related , and any other relevant risks , including , where appropriate , disruption of supplies from dominant suppliers . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in preventive action plan and emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all risk assessments provided for in article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism .


### if the member states do not agree on the necessary technical , legal and financial arrangements , the commission may propose a framework for such measures in its opinion and decision on the plans . ### if the member states do not agree on the necessary technical , legal and financial arrangements , the commission shall develop a framework for such measures in accordance with paragraph 4 .


### in order to make the regional cooperation feasible , member states should establish a cooperation mechanism within each region . such mechanism or mechanisms should be developed sufficiently in time to allow for conducting the risk assessment and drawing up meaningful plans at regional level . member states are free to agree on a cooperation mechanism best suited for a given region . the commission should have a facilitating role in the overall process and share best practises for arranging regional cooperation such as a rotating coordination role within the region for the preparation of the different documents or establishing dedicated bodies . in absence of an agreement on the cooperation mechanism , the commission may propose a suitable cooperation mechanism for a given region . ### in order to make regional cooperation feasible , member states should establish a cooperation mechanism within each region . such mechanism or mechanisms should be developed in sufficient time to allow for conducting the risk assessment and drawing up effective plans at regional level . member states are free to agree on a cooperation mechanism best suited for a given region . the commission should have a facilitating role in the overall process and share best practises for arranging regional cooperation such as a rotating coordination role within the region for the preparation of the different documents or establishing dedicated bodies . in the absence of an agreement on the cooperation mechanism , the commission will propose a suitable cooperation mechanism for a particular region .


### the competent authority shall notify the data listed in point of the first subparagraph to the commission by the end of september each year . ### the competent authority shall notify the data listed in point of the first subparagraph to the commission by the end of september each year . the commission shall aggregate the data notified by grouping member states with similar third - country supplier patterns , in order to create contractual benchmarks to be used by relevant natural gas undertakings .


### this regulation aims to ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to safeguard an uninterrupted supply of gas throughout the union , in particular to protected customers in the event of difficult climatic conditions or disruptions of the gas supply . these objectives should be achieved through the most cost - effective measures and in such a way that energy markets are not distorted . ### this regulation aims to ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to safeguard an uninterrupted supply of gas throughout the union , in particular to protected customers in the event of difficult climatic conditions or disruptions of gas supply . this should be achieved through cost - effective measures , in a way that energy markets are not distorted , in accordance with article 194 of the treaty on european union and with the goals of the energy union strategy relating to the security and diversification .


### the member states shall carry out an impact assessment on all preventive non - market based measures to be adopted after the entry into force of this regulation , including the measures to comply with the supply standard set out in article 5 and the measures for the increased supply standard set out in article 5 . such impact assessment shall cover at least the following : ### the member states shall carry out an impact assessment on all preventive non - market based measures , including the measures to comply with the supply standard set out in article 5 . such impact assessment shall cover at least the following :


### disruption of supplies from third country suppliers , as well as , where appropriate , geopolitical risks ; ### disruption of supplies from third country suppliers , as well as geopolitical risks that may directly or indirectly affect the member state by increased dependence or by one supplier achieving a dominant position on the european gas market ;


### to assess the security of supply situation of a given member state or region or of the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need regular access to information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of supply policies . under duly justified circumstances , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins . it could , for example , be requested in the event of changes in the pattern of the gas supply to a given buyer or buyers in a member state which would not be expected if the markets were functioning normally and which could affect the gas supply of the union or parts of it . ### to assess the security of gas supply situation of a member state , a region or the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need regular access to information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of gas supply policies . on reasonable grounds , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins . it could , for example , be requested in the event of changes in the pattern of the gas supply to a given buyer or buyers in a member state which would not be expected if the markets were functioning normally and which could affect the gas supply of the union or parts of it .


### the risk assessment shall be prepared in accordance with the template in annex iv . the commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 18 to amend those templates . ### the risk assessment shall be prepared in accordance with the template in annex iv . the commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with article 18 to amend those templates taking into account member state implementation timeframes .


### a preventive action plan containing the measures to be adopted to remove or mitigate the risks identified in the region , including risks of purely national dimension , in accordance with the risk assessment undertaken pursuant to article 6 and in accordance with article 8 ; and ### a preventive action plan containing the measures needed to remove or mitigate the risks identified at national or broader level , in accordance with the risk assessment undertaken pursuant to article 6 and in accordance with article 8 ; and


### where the commission considers that the gas supply in a region or the union as whole is affected or is likely to be affected it may require the competent authorities to collect and submit to the commission information necessary to assess the situation of the gas supply in the union . the commission may share its assessment with the gas coordination group . ### where the commission considers that the gas supply in a region or the union as whole is affected or is likely to be affected it shall require the competent authorities to collect and submit to the commission information necessary to assess the situation of the gas supply in the union . the commission shall share its assessment with the gas coordination group .


### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of the action to take in the event of an emergency , allowing all market participants sufficient opportunity to react and also prepare for such circumstances . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore abide by their emergency plan . in duly justified exceptional circumstances , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . it is also important to make the way in which emergencies are announced more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is set out in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available to competent authorities and the national regulatory authorities , if the latter are not the competent authority on a real time basis . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks . ### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of actions to be taken in the event of an emergency , granting all market participants sufficient opportunity to prepare for such situations and react to them . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore comply with their emergency plan . in exceptional circumstances and on reasonable grounds , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . the manner in which emergencies are announced should be more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is laid down in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available on a real - time basis to the competent authorities and to the national regulatory authorities , if they are not the competent authorities . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks .


### all correspondence in connection with a notification shall be transmitted electronically . ### all correspondence in connection with the provisions of this article shall be transmitted electronically .


### this regulation establishes provisions aimed at safeguarding the security of gas supply by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas , by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the required gas supplies and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities among natural gas undertakings , the member states and the union regarding both preventive action and the reaction to concrete disruptions of supply . this regulation also provides transparent mechanisms , in a spirit of solidarity , for the coordination of planning for , and response to , an emergency at member state , regional and union levels . ### this regulation establishes provisions aimed at safeguarding , in the spirit of solidarity , the security of gas supply by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market in natural gas , by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the required gas supplies and by providing for a clear definition and attribution of responsibilities among natural gas undertakings , the member states and the union regarding both preventive action and reaction to concrete disruptions of supply . this regulation also provides for transparent mechanisms for the coordination of planning for , and response to , an emergency at member state , regional and union level .


### to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances as regards security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 of the treaty on the functioning of the european union should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of regions and templates for risk assessment and plans . it is particularly important that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level . when preparing and drawing up delegated acts , it should ensure that relevant documents are simultaneously sent to the european parliament and the council , in good time and in the appropriate manner . ### in order to allow for a swift union response to changing circumstances with regard to security of gas supply , the power to adopt acts in accordance with article 290 tfeu should be delegated to the commission in respect of amendment of the structure of the emergency supply corridors and the templates for risk assessments , preventive action plans and emergency plans . it is of particular importance that the commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work , including at expert level and involving the competent authorities and the national regulatory authorities where they are not the competent authorities , and that those consultations be concluded in accordance with the principles laid down in the interinstitutional agreement on better law - making of 13 april 2016 . in particular , to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts , the european parliament and the council receive all documents at the same time as member states ' experts , and their experts systematically have access to meetings of commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts .


### competent authorities shall regularly report to the gas coordination group on the progress achieved on the preparation and adoption of the preventive action plans and the emergency plans . in particular competent authorities shall report to the gas coordination group on the agreed cooperation mechanism 18 months before the deadline for the adoption of the plans and the updates of the plans . the commission may have a facilitating role overall in the preparation of the plans , in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism . if competent authorities within a region do not agree on a cooperation mechanism , the commission may propose a cooperation mechanism for that region . they shall ensure the regular monitoring of the implementation of such plans . ### competent authorities shall regularly report to the gas coordination group on the progress achieved on the preparation and adoption of the preventive action plans and the emergency plans . in particular competent authorities shall report to the gas coordination group on the agreed cooperation mechanism 18 months before the deadline for the adoption of the plans and the updates of the plans . the commission may have a facilitating role overall in the preparation of the plans , in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism . if competent authorities of connected member states do not agree on the content of the regional aspects of the preventive action plan , the commission may propose a regional cooperation mechanism . they shall ensure the regular monitoring of the implementation of such plans .


### the definition of protected customers in each member state of the region and the information described in the second subparagraph of article 5 ; ### the definition of protected customers in each member state and the information described in the second subparagraph of article 5 ;


### the preventive action plans and emergency plans should be updated regularly and published . they should be subject to peer review . the peer review process allows for early identification of inconsistencies and measures that could endanger other member states ' security of supply , thereby ensuring that plans from different regions are consistent with one another . it also enables member states to share best practice . ### the preventive action plans and emergency plans should be updated on a regular basis and published . they should be subject to peer review which should be monitored by the commission . the peer review process is intended to allow for early identification of inconsistencies and measures that could endanger the security of gas supply of other member states , thereby ensuring consistency of the plans across different regions . it also enables member states to share best practice .


### one of the union goals is to strengthen the energy community that would ensure effective implementation of the union energy acquis , energy market reforms and incentivising investments in the energy sector by closer integration of the union and energy community energy markets . this entails also introducing common crisis management by proposing preventive and emergency plans at the regional level including the energy community contracting parties . furthermore , the commission communication on the short term resilience of the european gas system from october 2014 refers to the need to apply internal energy market rules on the flow of energy between the union member states and the energy community contracting parties . in this regard , in order to ensure an efficient crisis management on borders between the union member states and the contracting parties , the necessary arrangements following the adoption of a joint act should be set so that specific cooperation with any individual energy community contracting party can take place once the required mutual provisions have been duly put into place . . ### one of the union goals is to strengthen the energy community in order to ensure effective implementation of the union energy acquis , energy market reforms and incentives to invest in the energy sector by closer integration of the union and energy community energy markets . this also entails introducing common crisis management by proposing preventive action plans and emergency plans at the regional level including the energy community contracting parties . furthermore , the commission communication of 16 october 2014 on the short term resilience of the european gas system refers to the need to apply internal energy market rules on the flow of energy between the union member states and energy community contracting parties . in this regard , in order to ensure efficient crisis management on borders between the union member states and the energy community contracting parties , necessary arrangements following the adoption of a joint act should be set so that specific cooperation with any individual energy community contracting party can take place once the required mutual provisions have been duly put into place .


### an internal gas market that operates smoothly is the best guarantee of security of energy supply across the union and to reduce the exposure of individual member states to the harmful effects of supply disruptions . where a member state ' s security of supply is threatened , there is a risk that measures developed unilaterally by that member state may jeopardise the proper functioning of the internal gas market and damage the gas supply to customers in other member states . to allow the internal gas market to function even in the face of a shortage of supply , provision must be made for solidarity and coordination in the response to supply crises , as regards both preventive action and the reaction to actual disruptions of supply . ### a well - interconnected and well - functioning internal gas market , free of ' energy islands ' , is the best means by which to ensure security of gas supply across the union while reducing the exposure of individual member states to harmful effects of supply disruptions . where a member state ' s security of gas supply is threatened , there is a risk that measures developed unilaterally by that member state may damage gas supply to customers in other member states , negatively affecting the proper functioning of the internal gas market . to allow the internal gas market to function even in the face of a shortage of supply , provision must be made for solidarity and coordination at regional and union level as regards both preventive action and reaction to actual disruptions of supply .


### as long as the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state having declared the emergency is not satisfied , despite the application of the measure in paragraph 1 , the gas supply to customers other than households , essential social services and district heating installations in any other member state , directly connected to the member state which declared the emergency , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member states having declared the emergency . ### as long as the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state having declared the emergency is not satisfied , despite the application of the measure in paragraph 1 , the gas supply to customers other than households , essential social services and district heating installations in any other member state , directly connected to the member state which declared the emergency , shall be reduced to the extent reflecting the maximum capability to the affected connected member state as necessary to supply the households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member states having declared the emergency .


### this regulation aims to ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to safeguard an uninterrupted supply of gas throughout the union , in particular to protected customers in the event of difficult climatic conditions or disruptions of the gas supply . these objectives should be achieved through the most cost - effective measures and in such a way that energy markets are not distorted . ### this regulation aims to ensure that all the necessary measures are taken to safeguard an uninterrupted supply of gas throughout the union , in particular to protected customers in the event of difficult climatic conditions or disruptions of gas supply . this should be achieved through cost - effective measures , in a way that energy markets are not distorted , in accordance with article 194 of the treaty on european union and with the goals of the energy union strategy relating to the security and diversification .


### in order to make the regional cooperation feasible , member states should establish a cooperation mechanism within each region . such mechanism or mechanisms should be developed sufficiently in time to allow for conducting the risk assessment and drawing up meaningful plans at regional level . member states are free to agree on a cooperation mechanism best suited for a given region . the commission should have a facilitating role in the overall process and share best practises for arranging regional cooperation such as a rotating coordination role within the region for the preparation of the different documents or establishing dedicated bodies . in absence of an agreement on the cooperation mechanism , the commission may propose a suitable cooperation mechanism for a given region . ### in order to make regional cooperation feasible , member states should establish a cooperation mechanism within each region . such mechanism or mechanisms should be developed in sufficient time to allow for conducting the risk assessment and drawing up effective plans at regional level . member states are free to agree on a cooperation mechanism best suited for a given region . the commission should have a facilitating role in the overall process and share best practises for arranging regional cooperation such as a rotating coordination role within the region for the preparation of the different documents or establishing dedicated bodies . in the absence of an agreement on the cooperation mechanism , the commission will propose a suitable cooperation mechanism for a particular region .


### conditions for the suspension of gas deliveries . ### conditions for the renegotiation and suspension of gas deliveries .


### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , commercial , financial , social , political and market - related risks , and any other relevant ones , including , where appropriate , the disruption of the supplies from the single largest supplier . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in the preventive action plan and the emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all hazard risk assessments foreseen under article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism . ### when conducting a comprehensive risk assessment to be prepared at regional level , competent authorities should assess natural , technological , infrastructural , commercial , financial , social , political , market - related , and any other relevant risks , including , where appropriate , disruption of supplies from dominant suppliers . all risks should be addressed by effective , proportionate and non - discriminatory measures to be developed in preventive action plan and emergency plan . the results of the risk assessments should also contribute to the all risk assessments provided for in article 6 of decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council18 . __________________ 18 decision no 1313 / 2013 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 17 december 2013 on a union civil protection mechanism .


### the roles and responsibilities of all natural gas undertakings and competent authorities should therefore be defined precisely in order to keep the internal gas market functioning properly , particularly in the event of supply disruptions and crises . such roles and responsibilities should be established in such a way as to ensure that a three - level approach is respected which would involve first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union . this regulation should enable natural gas undertakings and customers to rely on market mechanisms for as long as possible when coping with disruptions . however , it should also provide for mechanisms that can be deployed when markets alone are no longer able to deal adequately with a gas supply disruption . ### the roles and responsibilities of all natural gas undertakings and competent authorities should therefore be defined precisely in order to keep the internal gas market functioning properly , particularly in the event of supply disruptions and crises . such roles and responsibilities should be established in such a way as to ensure that a three - level approach is respected which would involve first the relevant natural gas undertakings and industry , then member states at national or regional level , and then the union . to that end , effective information - sharing across all levels should provide early warning with regard to disruption and the means of mitigation . this regulation is intended to enable natural gas undertakings and customers to rely on market mechanisms for as long as possible when coping with disruptions . however , it is also intended to provide for mechanisms that can be deployed when markets alone are no longer able to deal adequately with a gas supply disruption .


### the other preventive measures designed to address the risks identified in the risk assessment , such as those relating to the need to enhance interconnections between neighbouring member states and the possibility to diversify gas routes and sources of supply , if appropriate , to address the risks identified in order to maintain gas supply to all customers as far as possible ; ### the other preventive measures designed to address the risks identified in the risk assessment , such as those relating to the need to enhance interconnections between neighbouring member states and the possibility to diversify gas routes and sources of supply , to initiate or increase supply from alternative suppliers , inter alia , by way of voluntary demand aggregation and to pool gas reserves , inter alia , via common virtual gas reserves composed of different flexibility options available in different member states , if appropriate , to address the risks identified in order to maintain gas supply to all customers for as long as possible ;


### no later than 31 march 2017 member states shall notify the commission their definition of protected customers , the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage they represent of the total annual final gas consumption in that member state . where a member state includes in its definition of protected customers the categories referred to in point or of article 2 it shall specify in the notification to the commission the gas consumption volumes corresponding to consumers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of consumers represents in terms of the annual final use of gas . ### no later than 31 march 2017 the competent authorities within each region shall notify the commission the definition of protected consumers in that region , the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage they represent of the total annual final gas consumption in respective member states as well as how it could influence cross - border flows in the region . where a member state includes in its definition of protected customers the categories referred to in point or of article 2 it shall specify in the notification to the commission the gas consumption volumes corresponding to consumers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of consumers represents in terms of the annual final use of gas .


### natural gas remains an essential component of the energy supply of the union . a large proportion of such gas is imported into the union from third countries . ### natural gas is an essential component of the energy supply of the union . this makes security of gas supply a key element of the union ' s overall energy security , with relevance to the union ' s competitiveness and growth . even though more than 50&#160 ; % of gas consumption in the union and the rest of the european economic area is currently covered by domestic production , a growing proportion of gas is imported from third countries . enhancing the union ' s energy security and making its gas market more resilient thus requires creating a stable , market - based regulatory framework for developing gas production from domestic sources , increasing energy efficiency as well as addressing dependence on dominant external suppliers .


### as demonstrated by the october 2014 stress test , solidarity is needed to ensure security of supply across the union and to keep overall costs to a minimum . if an emergency is declared in any member state , a two - step approach should be applied to strengthen solidarity . firstly , all member states which have introduced a higher supply standard should reduce it to default values to make the gas market more liquid . secondly , if the first step fails to provide the necessary supply , further measures by neighbouring member states , even if not in an emergency situation , should be triggered to ensure the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state experiencing the emergency . member states should identify and describe the details of these solidarity measures in their emergency plans , ensuring fair and equitable compensation of the natural gas undertakings . ### as demonstrated by the october 2014 stress test , solidarity is needed to ensure security of supply across the union and to keep overall costs to a minimum . if an emergency is declared in any member state , a two - step approach should be applied to strengthen solidarity . all member states which have introduced a higher supply standard should reduce it to default values to make the gas market more liquid . if the first step fails to provide the necessary supply , further measures by neighbouring member states , even if not in an emergency situation , should be taken to ensure the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state experiencing the emergency . member states should identify and describe the details of these solidarity measures in their emergency plans , ensuring fair and equitable compensation for the natural gas undertakings .


### certain customers , including households and customers providing essential social services , are particularly vulnerable and may need social protection . a definition of such protected customers should not conflict with the union solidarity mechanisms . ### certain customers , including households and customers that provide essential social services , are particularly vulnerable to supply disruptions and may need special protection . a definition of such protected customers should be harmonised across the union to an extent which does not conflict with the union solidarity mechanisms .


### the competent authorities within each region shall agree on a cooperation mechanism to conduct the risk assessment within the deadline provided for in paragraph 5 of this article . competent authorities shall report to the gas coordination group on the agreed cooperation mechanism for conducting the risk assessment 18 months before the deadline for the adoption of the risk assessment and the updates of the risk assessment . the commission may have a facilitating role overall in the preparation of the risk assessment , in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism . if competent authorities within a region do not agree on a cooperation mechanism , the commission may propose a cooperation mechanism for that region . ### the competent authorities within each region shall agree on a cooperation mechanism to conduct the risk assessment within the deadline provided for in paragraph 5 of this article . competent authorities shall report to the gas coordination group on the agreed cooperation mechanism for conducting the risk assessment 18 months before the deadline for the adoption of the risk assessment and the updates of the risk assessment . the commission shall have a facilitating role overall in the preparation of the risk assessment , in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism . if competent authorities within a region do not agree on a cooperation mechanism , the commission shall develop a cooperation mechanism for that region .


### the competent authorities of the member states of each region as listed in annex i , after consulting the natural gas undertakings , the relevant organisations representing the interests of household and industrial gas customers , including electricity producers , and the national regulatory authorities , where they are not the competent authorities , shall establish jointly : ### the competent authorities of the member states of each region as listed in annex i , after consulting the natural gas undertakings , transmission system operators for electricity , the relevant organisations representing the interests of household and industrial gas customers , including electricity producers , and the national regulatory authorities , where they are not the competent authorities , shall establish jointly :


### to assess the security of supply situation of a given member state or region or of the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need regular access to information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of supply policies . under duly justified circumstances , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins . it could , for example , be requested in the event of changes in the pattern of the gas supply to a given buyer or buyers in a member state which would not be expected if the markets were functioning normally and which could affect the gas supply of the union or parts of it . ### to assess the security of gas supply situation of a member state , a region or the union , access to the relevant information is essential . in particular , member states and the commission need regular access to information from natural gas undertakings regarding the main parameters of the gas supply as a fundamental input in the design of the security of gas supply policies . on reasonable grounds , irrespective of a declaration of emergency , access should also be possible to additional information needed to assess the overall gas supply situation . that additional information would typically be non - price - related gas delivery information , e . g . minimum and maximum gas volumes , delivery points or supply margins . it could , for example , be requested in the event of changes in the pattern of the gas supply to a given buyer or buyers in a member state which would not be expected if the markets were functioning normally and which could affect the gas supply of the union or parts of it .


### the commission ' s communication on the short - term resilience of the european gas system from october 201413 analysed the effects of a partial or complete disruption of gas supplies from russia and concluded that purely national approaches are not very effective in the event of severe disruption , given their scope , which is by definition limited . this stress test showed how a more cooperative approach among member states could significantly reduce the impact of very severe disruption scenarios in the most vulnerable member states . __________________ 13 com 654 final ### the commission ' s communication of 16 october 2014 on the short - term resilience of the european gas system analysed the effects of a partial or complete disruption of gas supplies from russia and concluded that many of the national approaches are unilateral in nature , insufficiently coordinated or insufficiently cooperative , and thus not very effective in the event of severe disruption . this stress test showed that a more cooperative approach among member states could significantly reduce the impact of very severe disruption scenarios in the most vulnerable member states .


### the commission shall issue an opinion to the competent authorities of the region with the recommendation to review the relevant preventive action plan or emergency plan if the plan is considered to contain one of the following elements : ### the commission shall issue an opinion to the competent authorities of the region with the recommendation to review the relevant preventive action plan or emergency plan if it considers that the plan :


### as long as the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state having declared the emergency is not satisfied , despite the application of the measure in paragraph 1 , the gas supply to customers other than households , essential social services and district heating installations in any other member state , directly connected to the member state which declared the emergency , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member states having declared the emergency . ### as long as gas supply to protected customers in the member state that has called for the application of solidarity measures is not satisfied , the gas supply to customers other than protected customers in any other member state , directly connected to that member state , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the protected customers in the member states having called for the application of solidarity measures .


### the definition of protected customers in each member state of the region and the information described in the second subparagraph of article 5 ; ### the definition of protected customers and the information described in the second subparagraph of article 5 ;


### as long as the supply to households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member state having declared the emergency is not satisfied , despite the application of the measure in paragraph 1 , the gas supply to customers other than households , essential social services and district heating installations in any other member state , directly connected to the member state which declared the emergency , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the households , essential social services and district heating installations in the member states having declared the emergency . ### as long as gas supply to protected customers in the member state that have called for the application of solidarity measures is not satisfied , the gas supply to protected customers in any other member state , directly connected to that member state , shall not continue to the extent necessary to supply the protected customers in the member states having declared the emergency .


### a major disruption of the gas supply can affect all member states , the union as a whole and contracting parties to the treaty establishing the energy community , signed in athens on 25 october 2005 . it can also severely damage the union economy and can have a major social impact , particularly on vulnerable groups of customers . ### the high level of interdependence of member states and european third countries is also a feature of the field of energy . a major disruption of gas supply in one country can affect multiple other member states , the union or contracting parties to the treaty establishing the energy community . it can weaken overall security , severely damage the economy and have a major social impact , particularly on vulnerable groups of customers , especially in countries which are overly dependent on a single dominant supplier .


### the competent authorities within each region shall agree on a cooperation mechanism to conduct the risk assessment within the deadline provided for in paragraph 5 of this article . competent authorities shall report to the gas coordination group on the agreed cooperation mechanism for conducting the risk assessment 18 months before the deadline for the adoption of the risk assessment and the updates of the risk assessment . the commission may have a facilitating role overall in the preparation of the risk assessment , in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism . if competent authorities within a region do not agree on a cooperation mechanism , the commission may propose a cooperation mechanism for that region . ### in close collaboration with the gas coordination group , taking into account entso - g analysis , the commission shall identify major joint risks for the security of gas supply and shall also propose which members states shall work closely together to carry out a joint analysis of the possible impact of such risks on the security of gas supply in the relevant concerned member states . each group shall prepare a document containing : - relevant data for the assessment of the analysed risk , including alternative ways of gas supply - analysis of the impacts and propagation of the supply disruption along supply corridor .


### so far , the potential for more efficient and less costly measures through regional cooperation has not been fully exploited . this has to do not only with better coordination of national mitigation actions in emergency situations , but also of national preventive measures , such as national storage or policies related to liquefied natural gas , which can be strategically important in certain regions . ### so far , the potential of regional cooperation to introduce more efficient and less costly measures has not been fully exploited . this applies to better coordination of national mitigation actions in emergency situations as well as to national preventive measures , such as national storage or policies related to liquefied natural gas , which can be strategically important in certain regions .


### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of the action to take in the event of an emergency , allowing all market participants sufficient opportunity to react and also prepare for such circumstances . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore abide by their emergency plan . in duly justified exceptional circumstances , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . it is also important to make the way in which emergencies are announced more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is set out in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available to competent authorities and the national regulatory authorities , if the latter are not the competent authority on a real time basis . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks . ### it is necessary to ensure the predictability of actions to be taken in the event of an emergency , granting all market participants sufficient opportunity to prepare for such situations and react to them . as a rule , the competent authorities should therefore comply with their emergency plan . in exceptional circumstances and on reasonable grounds , they should be allowed to take action which deviates from those plans . the manner in which emergencies are announced should be more transparent and predictable . information on the system balancing position , the framework for which is laid down in commission regulation no 312 / 201419 , may play an important role in this regard . that information should be available on a real - time basis to the competent authorities and to the national regulatory authorities , if they are not the competent authorities . __________________ 19 commission regulation no 312 / 2014 of 26 march 2014 establishing a network code on gas balancing of transmission networks .