EU Gas Storage at 65% as Commission Sees No Immediate Risk Before Winter 2026/2027

Key Facts

European Union gas storage was 65% full on September 2, 2026, and the European Commission said on September 3 that there was no immediate supply-security risk ahead of winter 2026/2027.

The Commission said Europe's gas system could cope with lower storage because supply sources are more diverse and liquefied natural gas import capacity has increased. Gas demand is also 17% below pre-crisis levels, and the Commission saw no reason for new intervention under current conditions.

The gas summer began on April 1, 2026, with storage at 28%, before the level rose to 49% on July 2 and 65% on September 2. The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators said 80% was achievable at 2025 liquefied natural gas import levels, while reaching 90% would require imports to rise about 13% from 2025 levels.

Storage ended the previous winter below 30% of capacity, near a 9-year low, after cold weather and increased gas use for power generation and heating. During the summer, European heatwaves increased gas demand for power generation, while Qatari liquefied natural gas production remained offline on September 3.

The rules require member states to meet a 90% storage target at any point between October 1 and December 1. Countries may deviate from the target by up to 10 percentage points when filling conditions are difficult, and the Commission may authorize an additional deviation of up to 5 percentage points through a delegated act if unfavorable market conditions persist.

At 65%, storage was 25 percentage points below the headline 90% target, although the regulatory gap may be narrowed through the 10-percentage-point flexibility and an additional margin of up to 5 percentage points under specified conditions. The European Union Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators expects prices to remain highly sensitive to shocks and Asian competition for liquefied natural gas cargoes, while the Commission will continue monitoring the market and has scheduled the next Gas Coordination Group meeting for September 24.