States control only a small part of their reserves.
, as the lion's share is owned by private companies. In the current conditions, this can provoke a shortage of gas in a number of countries, as well as a rapid increase in prices for the resource. Bloomberg writes about it.
It is noted that only approximately 10% of gas in storage from Italy to the Netherlands is under the direct control of states. This is in line with national reserve strategies. The rest of the gas is controlled by international energy companies and industry groups, which are free to sell gas to other countries.
To avoid supply risks, governments can resort to imposing a state of emergency. At the same time, for example, Germany's Federal Network Agency (as well as regulatory authorities in other countries) will have the authority to order whether to leave gas in storage or withdraw it from there. But such harsh measures may leave the rest of the countries with gas shortages.
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