The Slovenian Ministry of the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Energy submitted a draft regulation on the Gas Supply Emergency Plan for public consultation. This regulation defines measures for mitigating or reducing the effects of a crisis and disruptions in gas supply and procedures, roles, and responsibilities of gas companies and consumers in a gas supply crisis in the country.
According to the Gas Supply Act, the competent state authority adopts an emergency plan upon the proposal of the Energy Agency.
The purpose of this plan is to prepare gas companies, customers, and government bodies for potential gas shortages and crisis situations. The plan outlines crisis phases declared by the competent authority at the national level in Slovenia, measures and procedures for each crisis phase, and the responsibilities of stakeholders in the gas sector. The plan also regulates communication between stakeholders, the crisis management team’s operations, and the tasks performed by the Energy Agency during crises and for ensuring reliable gas supply.
The plan defines content required by European legislation and is implemented at the level of member states. This includes crisis management methods, the role and composition of the crisis team, procedures, measures, and communication for each crisis phase, including EU-level crisis phases. In such cases, the coordination and collaboration methods between Slovenian authorities, the competent authority, the regulatory body, the European Commission, and other relevant authorities are determined.
The plan stipulates that the measures are gradual and incremental, and the competent authority only requires minimum measures to control gas supply. If the situation requires it, gas consumption reduction and cessation are regulated based on the purpose for which individual consumer groups use gas. The plan defines criteria for categorizing customers into these consumer groups. The criteria for reducing and stopping consumption reflect priorities and the importance of specific activities in society, thus reflecting the values upheld by the member state.
The plan envisions the use of a unified information system stipulated by the Gas Supply Act for data exchange among stakeholders and communication during the declared crisis phase. The plan regulates the method for requesting solidarity assistance that a member state can seek in case of gas shortages.
