EU officials said there is no immediate risk to the bloc’s oil and gas supplies after reviewing the energy security situation following developments in the Middle East.
Senior officials from EU member states and the European Commission discussed the outlook at a meeting of the Energy Union Task Force Security, the European Commission announced on Friday night.
They reaffirmed earlier assessments made by the EU’s Oil and Gas Coordination Groups, which had met industry representatives earlier in the week.
Crude oil supplies to EU refineries were described as stable, with no need for additional releases from emergency stocks at present.
It said risks could increase in a longer-term scenario if Middle East oil production or tanker traffic were disrupted for a prolonged period.
Jet fuel was singled out as the main concern, because EU refineries cover about 70% of the EU’s consumption and the rest depends on imports.
Gas storage and methane rules
On natural gas, the Task Force discussed winter preparations and referred to a letter from Commissioner Dan Jørgensen encouraging member states to use flexibility in existing rules and consider reducing the gas storage target to 80%, the statement said.
Gas storage targets set minimum levels of gas that countries must keep in reserve ahead of winter.
Participants also discussed extending the gas storage “injection season” — the period when gas is put into storage — to reduce last-minute congestion and price spikes.
The Task Force also called for faster work on European Commission recommendations for implementing the EU Methane Regulation, with a focus on security of supply and legal certainty around penalties and compliance options.
It said EU energy ministers agreed that approach in December 2025.
Energy prices had stabilised after a two-week ceasefire announcement, but the broader situation was described as volatile and uncertain. Further meetings are planned in the Oil and Gas Coordination Group and the Task Force.
