Regulation (EU) 2017/1938 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2017 concerning measures to safeguard the security of gas supply and repealing Regulation (EU) No 994/2010 (Text with EEA relevance. )

Article 1

Subject matter

This Regulation establishes provisions aiming to safeguard the security of gas supply in the Union by ensuring the proper and continuous functioning of the internal market for gas by allowing for exceptional measures to be implemented when the market can no longer deliver the gas supplies required, including solidarity measure of a last resort, and by providing for the 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 gas supply. This Regulation also establishes transparent mechanisms concerning, in a spirit of solidarity, the coordination of planning for, and response to, emergencies at national, regional and Union level.

Article 2

Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply:

• (2) ‘customer’ means customer as defined in point 24 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (3) ‘household customer’ means household customer as defined in point 25 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (4) ‘essential social service’ means a service related to healthcare, essential social care, emergency, security, education or public administration;

• (5) ‘protected customer’ means a household customer who is connected to a gas distribution network and, in addition, where the Member State concerned so decides, may also mean one or more of the following, provided that enterprises or services as referred to in points (a) and (b) do not, jointly, represent more than 20 % of the total annual final gas consumption in that Member State:
• (a) a small or medium-sized enterprise, provided that it is connected to a gas distribution network;
• (b) an essential social service, provided that it is connected to a gas distribution or transmission network;
• (c) a district heating installation to the extent that it delivers heating to household customers, small or medium-sized enterprises, or essential social services, provided that such installation is not able to switch to other fuels than gas;

• (6) ‘solidarity protected customer’ means a household customer who is connected to a gas distribution network, and, in addition, may include one or both of the following:
• (a) a district heating installation if it is a protected customer in the relevant Member State and only in so far as it delivers heating to households or essential social services other than educational and public administration services;
• (b) an essential social service if it is a protected customer in the relevant Member State, other than educational and public administration services;

• (7) ‘competent authority’ means a national governmental authority or a national regulatory authority designated by a Member State to ensure the implementation of the measures provided for in this Regulation;

• (8) ‘national regulatory authority’ means a national regulatory authority designated in accordance with Article 39(1) of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (9) ‘natural gas undertaking’ means natural gas undertaking as defined in point 1 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (10) ‘gas supply contract’ means gas supply contract as defined in point 34 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (11) ‘transmission’ means transmission as defined in point 3 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (12) ‘transmission system operator’ means transmission system operator as defined in point 4 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (13) ‘distribution’ means distribution as defined in point 5 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (14) ‘distribution system operator’ means distribution system operator as defined in point 6 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (15) ‘interconnector’ means interconnector as defined in point 17 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (16) ‘emergency supply corridors’ means Union gas supply routes that help Member States to better mitigate the effects of potential disruption of supply or infrastructure;

• (17) ‘storage capacity’ means storage capacity as defined in point 28 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 715/2009;

• (18) ‘technical capacity’ means technical capacity as defined in point 18 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 715/2009;

• (19) ‘firm capacity’ means firm capacity as defined in point 16 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 715/2009;

• (20) ‘interruptible capacity’ means interruptible capacity as defined in point 13 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 715/2009;

• (21) ‘LNG facility capacity’ means LNG facility capacity as defined in point 24 of Article 2 of Regulation (EC) No 715/2009;

• (22) ‘LNG facility’ means LNG facility as defined in point 11 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (23) ‘storage facility’ means storage facility as defined in point 9 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (24) ‘system’ means system as defined in point 13 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (25) ‘system user’ means system user as defined in point 23 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (26) ‘ancillary services’ means ancillary services as defined in point 14 of Article 2 of Directive 2009/73/EC;

• (27) ‘filling trajectory’ means a series of indicative intermediate targets for the underground gas storage facilities of each Member State, representing the filling plan of that Member State, set in accordance with Article 6a(7);

• (28) ‘filling target’ means a binding target for the filling level of the aggregated capacity of the underground gas storage facilities;

• (29) ‘strategic storage’ means underground storage or part of underground storage of non-liquefied natural gas which is purchased, managed and stored by transmission systems operators, an entity designated by the Member States or an undertaking, and which may be released only after prior notification or public authority authorisation for release, and is generally released in the case of:
• (a) major supply scarcity;
• (b) a supply disruption; or
• (c) the declaration of an emergency as referred to in Article 11(1), point (c);

• (30) ‘balancing stock’ means non-liquefied natural gas which is:
• (a) purchased, managed and stored underground by transmission system operators or by an entity designated by the Member State, for the sole purposes of carrying out the functions of transmission system operators and of the security of gas supply; and
• (b) dispatched only where required to keep the system in operation under secure and reliable conditions in accordance with Article 13 of Directive 2009/73/EC and with Articles 8 and 9 of Regulation (EU) No 312/2014;

• (31) ‘underground gas storage facility’ means a storage facility as defined in Article 2, point (9), of Directive 2009/73/EC that is used for the stocking of natural gas, including balancing stock, and that is connected to a transmission or distribution system, excluding above-ground spherical or linepack storage;

• (32) ‘gas’ means natural gas as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Directive (EU) 2024/1788 ([^E0001]);

• (33) ‘take-or-pay provision’ means a contractual provision which obliges the buyer to take delivery of, or alternatively pay for, a specified minimum quantity of gas within a given period, regardless of whether the gas is actually received;

• (34) ‘deliver-or-pay provision’ means a contractual provision which obliges the seller to pay a contractual fine in the case of a non-delivery of gas.

Article 3

Responsibility for the security of gas supply

The list of such risk groups and their composition are set out in Annex I. The composition of the risk groups shall not prevent any other form of regional cooperation benefiting security of supply.

Article 4

Gas Coordination Group

• (a) the security of gas supply, at any time and more specifically in the event of an emergency;

• (b) all information relevant to the security of gas supply at national, regional and Union level;

• (c) best practices and possible guidelines to all the parties concerned;

• (d) the level of the security of gas supply, benchmarks and assessment methodologies;

• (e) national, regional and Union scenarios and testing the levels of preparedness;

• (f) the assessment of the preventive action plans and the emergency plans, the coherence across the various plans, and the implementation of the measures provided for therein;

• (g) the coordination of measures to deal with an Union emergency, with the Energy Community Contracting Parties and with other third countries;

• (h) assistance needed by the most affected Member States.

Article 5

Infrastructure standard

The obligation set out in the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall be without prejudice to the responsibility of the transmission system operators to make the corresponding investments and to the obligations of transmission system operators as laid down in Regulation (EC) No 715/2009 and Directive 2009/73/EC.

• (a) in the case of connections to production facilities, to LNG facilities and to distribution networks; or

• (b) where an exemption from that obligation has been granted, after detailed assessment and after consulting other Member States and with the Commission in accordance with Annex III.

For the procedure to enable or enhance bi-directional capacity on an interconnection or to obtain or prolong an exemption from that obligation Annex III shall apply. The Commission shall make public the list of exemptions and keep it updated.

• (a) an assessment of market demand;

• (b) projections for demand and supply;

• (c) the possible economic impact on existing infrastructure;

• (d) a feasibility study;

• (e) the costs of bi-directional capacity including the necessary reinforcement of the transmission system; and

• (f) the benefits to the security of gas supply taking into account the possible contribution of bi-directional capacity to meeting the infrastructure standard set out in this Article.

The competent authority shall assess in the risk assessment whether, with an integrated perspective on gas and electricity systems, internal bottlenecks exist and national entry capacity and infrastructure, in particular transmission networks, are capable of adapting the national and cross-border gas flows to the scenario of disruption of the single largest gas infrastructure at national level and the single largest gas infrastructure of common interest to the risk group identified in the risk assessment.

The exception shall apply to Luxembourg provided it has:

• (a) at least two interconnectors with other Member States;

• (b) at least two different sources of gas supply; and

• (c) no gas storage facilities on its territory.

The exception shall apply to Slovenia provided it has:

• (a) at least two interconnectors with other Member States;

• (b) at least two different sources of gas supply; and

• (c) no gas storage facilities or an LNG facility on its territory.

The exception shall apply to Sweden provided it has:

• (a) no gas transit to other Member States on its territory;

• (b) an annual gross inland gas consumption of less than 2 Mtoe; and

• (c) less than 5 % of total primary energy consumption from gas.

Luxembourg, Slovenia and Sweden shall inform the Commission of any change affecting the conditions laid down in this paragraph. The exception laid down in this paragraph shall cease to apply where at least one of those conditions is no longer fulfilled.

As part of the national risk assessment carried out in accordance with Article 7(3) Luxembourg, Slovenia and Sweden shall describe the situation with respect to the respective conditions laid down in this paragraph and the prospects for compliance with the obligation in paragraph 1 of this Article, taking into account the economic impact of meeting the infrastructure standard, the gas market development and gas infrastructure projects in the risk group. On the basis of the information provided in the national risk assessment and if the respective conditions laid down in this paragraph are still met, the Commission may decide that the exception can continue to apply for four more years. In the event of a positive decision, the procedure set out in this subparagraph shall be repeated after four years.

Article 6

Gas supply standard

• (a) extreme temperatures during a 7-day peak period occurring with a statistical probability of once in 20 years;

• (b) any period of 30 days of exceptionally high gas demand, occurring with a statistical probability of once in 20 years;

• (c) for a period of 30 days in the case of disruption of the single largest gas infrastructure under average winter conditions.

By 2 February 2018, each Member State shall notify to the Commission its definition of protected customers, the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage that those consumption volumes 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 (5)(a) or (b) of Article 2, it shall specify the gas consumption volumes corresponding to customers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of customers represents in total annual final gas consumption.

The competent authority shall identify the natural gas undertakings referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph and shall specify them in the preventive action plan.

Any new non-market-based measures envisaged to ensure the gas supply standard shall comply with the procedure established in Article 9(4) to (9).

Member States may comply with the obligation laid down in the first subparagraph through the implementation of energy efficiency measures or by replacing the gas with a different source of energy, inter alia, renewable energy sources, to the extent that the same level of protection is achieved.

• (a) comply with Article 8(1);

• (b) not impact negatively on the ability of any other Member State to supply gas to its protected customers in accordance with this Article in the event of a national, regional or Union emergency; and

• (c) comply with Article 12(5) in the event of a regional or Union emergency.

The Commission may require a justification showing compliance of any measure referred to in the first subparagraph with the conditions laid down therein. Such a justification shall be made public by the competent authority of the Member State that introduces the measure.

Any new non-market-based measure pursuant to the first subparagraph of this paragraph, adopted on or after 1 November 2017, shall comply with the procedure established in Article 9(4) to (9).

Article 6a

Filling targets and filling trajectories

• (a) for 2022: 80 %;

• (b) from 2023: 90 %.

For the purpose of complying with this paragraph, Member States shall take into account the objective of safeguarding the security of gas supply in the Union in accordance with Article 1.

• (a) the gas system includes significant capacity of LNG storage, accounting annually for more than 4 % of the average national consumption over the preceding five years;

• (b) the Member State has imposed an obligation on gas suppliers to store minimum volumes of gas in underground gas storage facilities and/or LNG facilities in accordance with Article 6b(1), point (a).

5a. Notwithstanding paragraph 1 and without prejudice to the obligation of other Member States to fill the underground gas storage facilities concerned, in the case of difficult conditions that limit the ability to ensure that the underground gas storages are filled in accordance with this Regulation, each Member State may decide to deviate from the filling target set out in paragraph 1, point (b) by up to 10 percentage points.

5b. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, in addition to a possible deviation in accordance with the paragraph 5a and without prejudice to the obligation of other Member States to fill the underground gas storage facilities concerned, each Member State may decide to deviate from the filling target set out in paragraph 1, point (b) by up to five percentage points, if:

• (a) its national gas production exceeds its average annual gas consumption over the preceding two years; or

• (b) specific technical characteristics of an individual underground storage facility with technical capacity above 40 TWh located on its territory require a slow injection rate causing an exceptionally long injection period of more than 115 days.

A Member State may only use the flexibilities provided under the first subparagraph, as long as this does not negatively impact the ability of directly connected Member States to supply gas to their protected customers or this does not negatively impact the functioning of the internal market in gas. The Commission, in cooperation with the Member States using the flexibilities referred to in this subparagraph, shall assess the potential consequences of implementing those flexibilities, and inform the GCG immediately.

5c. In the case of persistent unfavourable market conditions and provided that the security of supply of the Union and the Member States is not undermined, the Commission is empowered to increase, for one filling season, the level of deviation allowed pursuant to paragraph 5a of this Article, by means of a delegated act in accordance with Article 19. Such an increase shall not exceed an additional five percentage points. When assessing a potential increase, the Commission shall take into account, in particular, the level of storage-filling, global gas supply, ENTSOG’s seasonal supply outlook, and indications of market manipulation. When increasing, in accordance with this paragraph, the level of deviation allowed pursuant to paragraph 5a of this Article, the Commission shall adapt the volumes set out in paragraph 2 of this Article and in Article 6c(1) and (5) to the same extent, in order to ensure full consistency in the filling targets applicable to Member States.

5d. Member States may, under the same conditions as those set out in paragraph 5a, decide to deviate by up to three percentage points and eighty-eight hundredth from the volume set out in paragraph 2.

5e. Member States may, under the same conditions as those set out in paragraph 5a of this Article, decide to deviate by up to one percentage point and sixty-six hundredth from the average annual gas consumption volume set out in Article 6c(1) and (5).

5f. A Member State using any of the flexibilities provided for in paragraphs 5a to 5e shall consult the Commission and provide justification immediately. The Commission shall update the GCG and any directly affected Member States on the cumulative effects of all used flexibilities without delay.

For Member States for which the filling target is reduced to 35 % of their average annual gas consumption pursuant to paragraph 2, the intermediate targets of the filling trajectory shall be reduced accordingly.

The Commission shall inform the GCG of the aggregated filling trajectories submitted by Member States without undue delay.

Article 6b

Implementation of filling targets

To the extent that any of the measures provided for in this Article are duties and powers of the national regulatory authority pursuant to Article 41 of Directive 2009/73/EC, the national regulatory authorities shall be responsible for taking those measures.

Measures taken pursuant to this paragraph may, in particular, include:

• (a) requiring gas suppliers to store minimum volumes of gas in storage facilities, including in underground gas storage facilities and/or in LNG storage facilities, those volumes to be determined on the basis of the amount of gas supplied by gas suppliers to protected customers;

• (b) requiring storage system operators to tender their capacities to market participants;

• (c) requiring transmission system operators or entities designated by the Member State to purchase and manage balancing stock exclusively for carrying out their functions as transmission system operators and, where necessary, imposing an obligation on other designated entities for the purpose of safeguarding the security of gas supply in the case of an emergency as referred to in Article 11(1), point (c);

• (d) using coordinated instruments, such as platforms for the purchase of LNG, with other Member States to maximise the utilisation of LNG and to reduce infrastructure and regulatory barriers to the shared use of LNG to fill underground gas storage facilities;

• (e) using voluntary mechanisms for the joint procurement of natural gas, regarding the application of which the Commission may, if necessary, issue guidance by 1 August 2022;

• (f) providing financial incentives for market participants, including for storage system operators, such as contracts for difference, or providing compensation to market participants for the shortfall in revenues or for costs incurred by them as a result of obligations on market participants, including storage system operators which cannot be covered by revenue;

• (g) requiring storage capacity holders to use or release unused booked capacities, while still obliging the storage capacity holder not using the storage capacity to pay the agreed price for the whole term of the storage contract;

• (h) adopting effective instruments for the purchase and management of strategic storage by public or private entities, provided that such instruments do not distort competition or the proper functioning of the internal market;

• (i) appointing a dedicated entity tasked with meeting the filling target in the event that the filling target would not otherwise be met;

• (j) providing discounts on storage tariffs;

• (k) collecting the revenues needed to recover the capital and operational expenditures related to regulated storage facilities as storage tariffs and as a dedicated charge incorporated into transmission tariffs collected only from exit points to final customers located within the same Member States, provided that revenues collected through tariffs are not larger than the allowed revenues.

Article 6c

Storage arrangements and burden-sharing mechanism

In the event that technical limitations do not allow a Member State to comply with the obligation laid down in the first subparagraph, and that Member State has in place an obligation to store other fuels to replace gas, the obligation laid down in the first subparagraph may exceptionally be met by an equivalent obligation to store fuels other than gas. The technical limitations and the equivalence of the measure shall be demonstrated by the Member State concerned.

The burden-sharing mechanism shall be based on the relevant data from the latest risk assessment pursuant to Article 7 and shall take into account all of the following parameters:

• (a) the cost of financial support for meeting the filling target, exclusive of the costs of meeting any strategic storage obligations;

• (b) the gas volumes needed to meet the demand of protected customers in accordance with Article 6(1);

• (c) any technical limitations, including the available underground storage capacity, technical cross-border transmission capacity and withdrawal rates.

Member States without underground gas storage facilities shall demonstrate that they comply with paragraph 1 and shall notify the Commission accordingly.

• (a) ensure that, at any point in time between 1 October and 1 December, storage volumes correspond at least to the average usage of the storage capacity over the preceding five years, determined, inter alia, by taking into account the flows during withdrawal season over the preceding five years from the Member States where the storage facilities are located; or

• (b) demonstrate that storage capacity equivalent to the volume covered by the obligation under point (a) has been booked.

If the Member State without underground gas storage facilities can demonstrate that storage capacity equivalent to the volume covered by the obligation under point (a) of the first subparagraph has been booked, paragraph 1 shall apply.

The obligation under this paragraph shall be limited to 15 % of the average annual gas consumption over the preceding five years in the Member State concerned.

Article 6d

Monitoring and enforcement

The Commission may, where appropriate, invite the European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) to assist with such monitoring.

The Commission, the national regulatory authorities and the Member States shall preserve the confidentiality of commercially sensitive information received for the purposes of carrying out their obligations.

Article 7

Risk assessment

The competent authorities within each risk group shall agree on a cooperation mechanism to conduct the common risk assessment and report it to the GCG eleven months before the deadline for the notification of the common risk assessment and its updates. At the request of a competent authority the Commission may have a facilitating role in the preparation of the common risk assessment, in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism. If competent authorities within a risk group do not agree on a cooperation mechanism, the Commission shall propose a cooperation mechanism for that risk group, after consulting the competent authorities concerned. The competent authorities concerned shall agree on a cooperation mechanism for that risk group taking utmost account of the Commission's proposal.

10 months before the deadline for the notification of the common risk assessment or its updates, each competent authority shall share and update, within the agreed cooperation mechanism, all national data necessary for the preparation of the common risk assessment, in particular for running the various scenarios referred to in point (c) of paragraph 4.

• (a) using the standards specified in Articles 5 and 6. The risk assessment shall describe the calculation of the N – 1 formula at national level and where appropriate include a calculation of the N – 1 formula at regional level. The risk assessment shall also include the assumptions used, including where applicable those for the calculation of the N – 1 formula at regional level, and the data necessary for such calculation. The calculation of the N – 1 formula at national level shall be accompanied by a simulation of disruption of the single largest gas infrastructure using hydraulic modelling for the national territory as well as by a calculation of the N – 1 formula considering the level of gas in storages at 30 % and 100 % of the maximum working volume;

• (b) taking into account all relevant national and transnational 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;

• (c) running various scenarios of exceptionally high demand for gas and disruption of gas supply, taking into account the history, probability, season, frequency and duration of their occurrence and assessing their likely consequences, such as:
• (i) disruption of the infrastructure relevant to the security of gas supply, in particular transmission infrastructure, storages or LNG terminals, including the largest gas infrastructure identified for the calculation of N – 1 formula; and
• (ii) disruption of supplies from third-country suppliers, as well as, where appropriate, geopolitical risks;

• (d) identifying the interaction and correlation of risks among the Member States in the risk group and with other Member States or other risk groups, as appropriate, including, as regards interconnections, cross-border supplies, cross-border access to storage facilities and bi-directional capacity;

• (e) taking into account risks relating to the control of infrastructure relevant to the security of gas supply to the extent that they may involve, inter alia, risks of underinvestment, undermining diversification, misuse of existing infrastructure, including hoarding of storage capacities, or an infringement of Union law;

• (f) taking into account the maximal interconnection capacity of each border entry and exit point and various filling levels for storage;

• (g) taking into account scenarios of a prolongeddisruption of a single supply source.

Article 8

Establishment of preventive action plans and emergency plans

• (a) a preventive action plan containing the measures needed to remove or mitigate the risks identified, including the effects of energy efficiency and demand-side measures in the common and nationals risk assessments and in accordance with Article 9;

• (b) an emergency plan containing the measures to be taken to remove or mitigate the impact of a disruption of gas supply in accordance with Article 10.

The regional chapters shall be developed jointly by all Member States in the risk group before incorporation in the respective national plans. The Commission shall act as a facilitator so as to enable that the regional chapters collectively enhance the security of gas supply in the Union, and, do not give rise to any contradiction, and to overcome any obstacles to cooperation.

The regional chapters shall contain appropriate and effective cross-border measures, including in relation to gas storage and LNG, subject to agreement between the Member States implementing the measures from the same or different risk groups affected by the measure on the basis of the simulation referred to in Article 7(1) and the common risk assessment.

The Commission may have a facilitating role in the preparation of the preventive action plan and the emergency plan, in particular for the establishment of the cooperation mechanism. If competent authorities within a risk group do not agree on a cooperation mechanism, the Commission shall propose a cooperation mechanism for that risk group. The competent authorities concerned shall agree on the cooperation mechanism for that risk group taking account of the Commission's proposal. The competent authorities shall ensure the regular monitoring of the implementation of the preventive action plan and the emergency plan.

The competent authorities shall, within each risk group, exchange draft preventive action plans and emergency plans with proposals for cooperation, at the latest five months before the deadline for submission of the plans.

The final versions of the regional chapters referred to in paragraph 3 shall be agreed by all Member States in the risk group. The preventive action plans and emergency plans shall also contain the national measures necessary to implement and enforce the cross-border measures in the regional chapters.

Within four months of the notification by the competent authorities, the Commission shall assess the plans taking into account the views expressed in the GCG.

• (a) it is not effective to mitigate the risks as identified in the risk assessment;

• (b) it is inconsistent with the risk scenarios assessed or with the plans of another Member State or a risk group;

• (c) it does not comply with the requirement laid down in paragraph 1 not unduly to distort competition or the effective functioning of the internal market;

• (d) it does not comply with the provisions of this Regulation or other provisions of Union law.

In the event of disagreement related to elements referred to in paragraph 8, the Commission may, within four months of the reply of the competent authority, withdraw its request or convene the competent authority and, where the Commission considers it to be necessary, the GCG, in order to consider the issue. The Commission shall set out its detailed reasons for requesting any amendments to the preventive action plan or the emergency plan. The competent authority concerned shall take full account of the detailed reasons of the Commission.

Where applicable, the competent authority concerned shall without delay amend and make the amended preventive action plan or emergency plan public.

Where the final position of the competent authority concerned diverges from the Commission's detailed reasons, that competent authority shall provide and make public, together with its position and the Commission's detailed reasons, the justification underlying its position within two months of receipt of the detailed reasons of the Commission.

Article 8a

Measures on cybersecurity

Article 9

Content of preventive action plans

• (a) the results of the risk assessment and a summary of the scenarios considered, as referred to in point (c) of Article 7(4);

• (b) the definition of protected customers and the information described in the second subparagraph of Article 6(1);

• (c) the measures, volumes and capacities needed to fulfil the infrastructure and gas supply standards laid down in Articles 5 and 6, including, where applicable, the extent to which demand-side measures can sufficiently compensate, in a timely manner, for a disruption of gas supply as referred to in Article 5(2), the identification of the single largest gas infrastructure of common interest in the case of the application of Article 5(3), the necessary gas volumes per category of protected customers and per scenario as referred to in Article 6(1), and any increased gas supply standard including any justification showing compliance with the conditions laid down in Article 6(2) and a description of a mechanism to reduce temporarily any increased gas supply standard or additional obligation in accordance with Article 11(3);

• (d) obligations imposed on natural gas undertakings, electricity undertakings where appropriate, and other relevant bodies likely to have an impact on the security of gas supply, such as obligations for the safe operation of the gas system;

• (e) 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, to further improve energy efficiency, to prevent capacity hoarding, to reduce gas demand and the possibility to diversify gas routes and sources of gas supply and the regional utilisation of existing storage and LNG capacities, if appropriate, in order to maintain gas supply to all customers as far as possible;

• (f) information on the economic impact, effectiveness and efficiency of the measures contained in the plan, including the obligations referred to in point (k);

• (g) a description of the effects of the measures contained in the plan on the functioning of the internal energy market as well as national markets, including the obligations referred to in point (k);

• (h) a description of the impact of the measures on the environment and on customers;

• (i) the mechanisms to be used for cooperation with other Member States, including the mechanisms for preparing and implementing preventive action plans and emergency plans;

• (j) information on existing and future interconnections and infrastructure, including those providing access to the internal market, cross-border flows, cross-border access to storage and LNG facilities and the bi-directional capacity, in particular in the event of an emergency;

• (k) information on all public service obligations that relate to the security of gas supply;

• (l) information on measures related to cybersecurity, as referred to in Article 8a.

Critical information relating to points (a), (c) and (d) of the first subparagraph which, if revealed, could endanger the security of gas supply, may be excluded.

• (a) the potential impact on the development of the national gas market and competition at national level;

• (b) the potential impact on the internal gas market;

• (c) the potential impact on the security of gas supply of neighbouring Member States, in particular for those measures that could reduce the liquidity in regional markets or restrict flows to neighbouring Member States;

• (d) the costs and benefits, assessed against alternative market-based-measures;

• (e) an assessment of necessity and proportionality in comparison with possible market-based measures;

• (f) an appreciation whether the measure ensures equal possibilities for all market participants;

• (g) a phase-out strategy, the expected duration of the envisaged measure and an appropriate review calendar.

The analysis referred to in points (a) and (b) shall be carried out by the national regulatory authority. The impact assessment shall be made public by the competent authority and shall be notified to the Commission.

The adopted measure shall enter into force only when it is approved by the Commission or has been amended in accordance with the Commission decision.

The four-month period shall begin on the day following receipt of a complete notification. The four-month period may be extended with the consent of both the Commission and the competent authority.

The four-month period shall begin on the day following receipt of a complete notification. The four-month period may be extended with the consent of both the Commission and the competent authority.

Article 10

Content of emergency plans

• (a) build upon the crisis levels referred to in Article 11(1);

• (b) define the role and responsibilities of natural gas undertakings, transmission system operators for electricity if relevant and of industrial gas customers including relevant electricity producers, taking account of the different extent to which they are affected in the event of a disruption of gas supply, and their interaction with the competent authorities and where appropriate with the national regulatory authorities at each of the crisis levels referred to in Article 11(1);