EU Energy Law - Volume XI - The Role of Gas in the EU’s Energy Union

The EU’s gas market is at the very centre of the EnergyUnion, and is changing faster than ever before. Indeed,the European Council has stressed repeatedly the EU’spriority of ensuring its gas security, and promoting liquidand competitive gas markets across the whole of the EU.The Commission has already proposed a revision to thegas Security of Supply Regulation and negotiations areclose to finalisation. Earlier this year, the Commissionpublished an ‘LNG Strategy’. In terms of marketintegration, the progressive adoption of grid codes isfurther integrating markets, and the emergence of activetrading hubs in North West Europe, is seeing theemergence of similar liquid markets throughout theEU. The EU has also been actively pursuing its aim ofdiversifying its sources of gas supplies, making progressin bringing the Southern Corridor to fruition, and isactively looking at other potential suppliers, for examplein the Eastern Mediterranean. And in the competitionpolicy field the Commission has equally been active,scrutinising the behaviour in particular of companiesholding dominant positions in parts of the EU. Thisvolume, introduced by EU Energy Commissioner MiguelArias CAÑETE, brings together commentary and analysisby some of the leading Commission officials, lawyers andindustry figures on all of these issues, offering a comprehensiveoverview of the challenges faced by the EU,its response, and the future direction of EU gas policy.