02European Union · Energy and economics
Europe has supply, but affordability is becoming the winter risk
Facts
EU gas storage is 75% full, down from 83% a year earlier, while wholesale gas briefly reached €100/MWh; ministers will consider tax and grid-fee changes and refinery flexibility.
InterpretationBrussels can release reserves and change taxes faster than it can create cheap energy. The constraint is that emergency stocks and technical waivers cushion a shock but do not restore lost low-cost supply; Finland faces the same industrial competitiveness pressure even without a physical shortage.