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In order to ensure security of gas supplies to Slovakia, it is crucial to maintain gas transit through Ukraine even after 2024
Vytvorené dňa: 04.04.2024 Aktualizované dňa: 10.04.2024
Brussels – The Energy Council meeting held in Brussels on Monday 4 March 2024 addressed particularly the issues of energy security and stability of gas supplies for next winter. Ministers adopted a recommendation on continuing to monitor the reduction of gas consumption and they had a discussion on how to achieve the greatest possible autonomy of the EU in terms of energy supplies. The State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Kamil Šaško represented Slovakia at the meeting.
For Slovakia, the crucial issue of the security of gas supply is directly linked with a possible termination of gas transit through Ukraine even after 2024. Slovakia has therefore initiated trilateral talks with ministers from Austria and Hungary in order to seek a possible solution. Three countries agreed on holding technical negotiations involving experts and the European Commission. Slovakia holds a clear position on this issue.
“I am convinced that in addition to the continuation of gas supply diversification and the implementation of measures aimed at reducing the consumption, efforts must be made to maintain the gas transit through Ukraine even after 2024”, said the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Kamil Šaško.
Despite the measures by means of the gas pipelines´ construction with Hungary and Poland and the increase in the capacity of reverse gas flows from the Czech Republic and Austria, maintaining the gas transit through Ukraine in the short term is crucial not only in order to ensure the security of gas supplies to Slovakia, but also in view of securing the stability of prices at the gas market.
In their debate, ministers also discussed how to avoid barriers regarding gas transit in the Single Market, as these might have a negative influence on our efforts to diversify. Therefore, Slovakia along with other affected countries pointed to the need to solve the issue of the gas storage fee, which can lead to an increase in the cost of transporting gas from LNG terminals in Western Europe to our region.
Another issue debated by the ministers was the electricity systems´ flexibility. Given the accelerating pace of electrification and electromobility and an increase in the share of renewable energy sources, the issue of the flexibility becomes more crucial. Without sufficient financial resources and more simple rules in the EU, and in Slovakia, it will not be possible to reach an adequate level of flexibility and the process of decarbonization of the energy sector will be threatened.
Press Department of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic
