--- title: "Von der Leyen proposes creating EU strategic gas reserves amid winter shortage fears" description: "European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed that EU leaders consider creating strategic gas reserves amid record-low storage levels and fears of a winter fuel shortage." date: 2026-10-16T04:14:27.010Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/ec-strategic-gas-reserves-eu tags: [eu-gas, von-der-leyen, energy-security, european-commission, gas-storage] author: "Marina Slivenko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Von der Leyen proposes creating EU strategic gas reserves amid winter shortage fears ![European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen speaks in front of EU flags](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/16/ek-strategicheskie-zapasy-gaza-es/ek-strategicheskie-zapasy-gaza-es-1.webp) ## Key Points - Ursula von der Leyen proposed that EU leaders consider creating strategic gas reserves - Reserves in European storage facilities are at a record-low level due to the war in Iran - The initiative is characterized as a long-term measure modeled on the oil sector - November working documents lack direct support for mandatory reserve filling - A related proposal on joint energy procurement failed to spark enthusiasm among EU leaders European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has put forward an initiative aimed at strengthening the European Union's energy security: she proposed that the bloc's leaders consider creating strategic gas reserves. The initiative is driven by growing concerns that Europe will face a fuel shortage this coming winter. This is reported by Politico, citing European diplomats and EU institutional representatives. ### Record-low storage filling levels According to Politico, gas reserves in existing European underground storage facilities—which under normal conditions are replenished throughout the year by commercial companies—are at a record-low level this year. The reason, the publication reports, is the war in Iran, which undermined market incentives for replenishing reserves. As a result, the bloc has proven insufficiently prepared for the winter consumption season. ### A long-term measure modeled on the oil sector Although diplomatic representatives have not yet managed to establish the exact form the proposed reserve will take, a high-ranking EU official characterized the initiative as a long-term measure to mitigate future supply risks. According to him, the approach will be similar to the one already applied to oil and petroleum products, where strategic reserves are a standard tool of energy policy. ### November review of the gas security system Documents detailing November plans to overhaul the EU gas supply security system, which Politico reviewed earlier this year, outline a set of measures to encourage companies to manage crisis situations more effectively. Thus, the strategic reserves initiative integrates into a broader package of reforms aimed at increasing the resilience of the union's gas infrastructure. ### Lack of direct support in working documents At the same time, the aforementioned working documents do not contain direct support for creating strategic reserves that governments would be required to replenish to a set level to compensate for supply shortages regardless of the current market situation. This indicates that the final architecture of the mechanism has not yet been determined and remains a subject of inter-institutional discussions. ### EU leaders' skepticism toward related initiatives Two diplomats interviewed by Politico reported that a separate European Commission proposal to create a pan-European mechanism for joint energy purchasing did not spark enthusiasm among EU leaders. This indicates that caution persists in Brussels and national capitals regarding the expansion of obligations for collective energy security assurance, especially under conditions where market mechanisms are not yet fully exhausted. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [Глава ЕК предложила создать "стратегические запасы" газа в Евросоюзе, - Politico](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/glava-ek-zaproponuvala-stvoriti-strategichni-1792122694.html) - Primary source: full text based on Politico. All key facts (von der Leyen's initiative, record-low reserve levels, the war in Iran, November plans, lack of direct support in documents, skepticism toward joint procurement) confirmed. - [Фон дер Ляйен предложила создать стратегические запасы газа в ЕС](https://www.bfm.ru/news/621033) - Confirms the initiative, record-low reserve levels, connection to the conflict. Data consistent with the primary source. - [Глава ЕК предложила создать стратегические запасы газа в ЕС](https://www.gazeta.ru/politics/news/2026/10/16/29535829.shtml) - Confirms the characterization of the initiative as a long-term measure to protect against future risks. Consistent with the primary source. - [ЕС на грани замерзания: фон дер Ляйен предложила создать стратегические запасы газа](https://runews24.ru/es-na-grani-zamerzaniya-fon-der-lyajen-predlozhila-sozdat-strategicheskie-zapasyi-gaza) - Confirms the initiative and record-low reserve levels. Consistent with the primary source. ## FAQ ### What exactly did Ursula von der Leyen propose? The European Commission President proposed that EU leaders consider the idea of creating strategic gas reserves as a long-term measure to mitigate supply risks, modeled on the existing mechanism in the oil sector. ### Why are EU gas reserves at a record-low level? According to Politico, the reason was the war in Iran, which undermined market incentives for commercial companies to replenish storage facilities throughout the year. ### Do EU working documents contain direct support for creating mandatory strategic reserves? No. The November documents on reviewing the gas security system reviewed by Politico do not contain direct support for creating reserves that governments would be required to replenish to a set level regardless of market conditions. ### How did EU leaders react to the related proposal on joint energy procurement? According to two diplomats interviewed by Politico, a separate European Commission proposal to create a pan-European mechanism for joint energy procurement did not spark enthusiasm among EU leaders.