(8)The intermediary targets of 1 February and 1 May 2025 are important targets for the security of supply in 2025, also in view of the end of gas transit agreement through Ukraine by 1 January 2025. Setting the February target to a Union minimum average around 50 % aims to reinforce security of gas supply by ensuring high availability from the storages in December 2024 and January 2025 when gas demand is high. This will be particularly important in case the 2024-2025 winter is colder than average. Nevertheless, considering the ENTSOG Winter Supply Outlook, Member States should strive to collectively reach 55 % storage filling of Union underground gas storage facilities capacity to prevent a deterioration of the security of gas supply in the Union. A minimum EU-level intermediary target around 30 % on 1 May 2025 is deemed sufficient to reach the November target of 90 % while granting market flexibility for the storage sites. Nevertheless, in the event of higher demand and/or reduced supply during summer 2025, Member States should strive to collectively reach the filling of 45 %, to reinforce security of supply by facilitating storage refilling on 1 November 2025. In line with Regulation (EU) 2017/1938, filling levels that remain up to five percentage points below the target are considered to comply with the targets of Regulation (EU) 2017/1938. Where the filling level of a Member State is more than five percentage points below the level of its filling trajectory, the competent authority should immediately take effective measures to increase it. Member States should inform the Commission and the GCG of such measures.
Source: EUR-Lex, © European Union, 1998-2026. Reuse authorised under Decision 2011/833/EU.