Energy Community Gas Forum calls for unified gas rules and coordinated phase-out of Russian supply across Europe
The Energy Community Gas Forum met this week under European Commission chairmanship, pulling together regulators, system operators, and policymakers from across the continent. The agenda was direct: close regulatory gaps that leave cross-border gas flows exposed, coordinate key supply routes, and push non-EU members to align with the EU’s plan to phase out Russian gas by 2027.
“As disruption becomes routine, fragmentation makes us more vulnerable,” said Artur Lorkowski, Director of the Energy Community Secretariat.
Forum convenes to set regional gas priorities
The forum brought together regulators, system operators, and policymakers from EU member states alongside the Energy Community’s non-EU Contracting Parties — Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Ukraine. That’s a wide geographic spread, and getting all of them moving in the same direction on gas rules is anything but simple.
Regulatory gaps slow infrastructure coordination, which undermines supply security, which in turn makes the phase-out harder to manage without real economic pain.
Lorkowski’s warning about fragmentation wasn’t just rhetorical — it set the tone for the entire meeting. The Energy Community Secretariat has long argued that patchwork regulation across borders leaves the region exposed when supply routes get disrupted, something that’s become increasingly common in recent years.
The agenda addressed harmonizing gas rules across EU and non-EU members, coordinating key cross-border supply routes, and aligning the region’s longer-term gas strategy with the EU’s 2027 phase-out of Russian supply. These threads connect tightly. Regulatory gaps slow infrastructure coordination, which undermines supply security, which in turn makes the phase-out harder to manage without real economic pain.
Regulatory gaps and the push for a common gas rulebook
One of the forum’s central tasks was reviewing progress toward a shared EU–Energy Community gas rulebook. The idea is straightforward: if gas flows across borders, the rules governing that flow need to be consistent on both sides of every interconnection point. Right now, they’re not always — and that creates real problems.
The forum identified remaining gaps, both regulatory and operational, at cross-border interconnection points. These are the physical and administrative junctions where gas moves between national systems. Inconsistencies there can produce friction, delays, or outright blockage in cross-border trade.
A significant step came in August, when EU member states began applying network codes — the shared technical and commercial rules for cross-border gas trade — at all their borders, including those shared with non-EU Energy Community members. Non-EU Contracting Parties have started reciprocating, applying the same rules on their side of those borders. It’s early-stage alignment, but reciprocal application is what turns a one-sided rule set into a genuinely common framework.
Trans-Balkan Pipeline and cross-border supply route coordination
Beyond the rulebook, the forum focused on infrastructure — specifically, how to turn strategic pipelines into reliable, commercially functioning supply routes. The Trans-Balkan Pipeline drew particular attention.
Historically, it carried Russian gas southward. Reconfigured, it has the potential to move gas in the opposite direction, connecting markets like Moldova and Ukraine to alternative supply sources. That’s a meaningful shift, both technically and geopolitically, and the forum welcomed progress toward its commercial operation.
More competitive tariffs are expected from October, which could make the route more attractive to shippers. Tariff competitiveness alone isn’t enough, though. The forum called for consistent implementation of EU gas network codes along the route, common rules for capacity booking and gas balancing, and fair open access for all users. If certain shippers face barriers to booking capacity, or if access terms vary unpredictably, the pipeline’s diversification potential doesn’t fully materialize. Infrastructure investment only pays off when the commercial and regulatory framework around it actually works.
Security of supply under the 2027 Russian gas phase-out
The EU’s plan to phase out Russian gas by 2027 sets a hard deadline for the region. For EU member states, it’s a firm policy commitment. For non-EU Contracting Parties, it’s more of an open question: will they follow the same path, or diverge?
The forum made a strong case for alignment. An Energy Community Secretariat study found that security of supply would hold even under worst-case scenarios — provided Contracting Parties follow the same phase-out trajectory as the EU. That’s a notable finding, suggesting the risk of going it alone may be higher than the risk of coordinated action.
The forum welcomed progress under REPowerEU, the EU’s broader plan to end dependence on Russian energy, and called on Contracting Parties to align with its goals. The European Commission is currently preparing a potential adaptation of REPowerEU tailored to the Energy Community context — one that would need to account for the different starting points, infrastructure constraints, and economic conditions across non-EU members.
The key takeaways from the forum are clear enough. Regulatory harmonization is advancing, but gaps remain, particularly at cross-border interconnection points. The Trans-Balkan Pipeline represents a concrete diversification opportunity, contingent on consistent rules and fair access. And the Energy Community Secretariat’s analysis suggests that a coordinated phase-out of Russian gas is the safer path, with the European Commission working to give non-EU members a tailored framework to follow it.
Kelly is an experienced writer with 15 years of experience exploring the big stories that shape our world, from tech breakthroughs and space exploration to climate, energy, and the fascinating quirks of science. She has a talent for turning complex ideas into sharp, memorable insights that stay with readers long after they’ve finished reading.
