Supplying natural gas through the enlarging market

1Oct
2003

Speaker: Simon Lewis, Vice-President EUROGAS, Managing Director Europe Centrica (UK).

The current yearly natural gas demand within the EU amounts to 350 MTOE. Due to the fast growing trend, it is expected that industry will have to supply an additional 100 MTOE in 2020 for the 15 actual Member States. It goes without saying that the enlarged EU of 2020 will need a much higher supply.

Industry will need to take the appropriate investment decisions, both within the enlarged European Union and in relation to major trans-European and international transport networks.

Also, ongoing process of EU enlargement to Central and Eastern European countries having energy markets at different stages of development will have significant impact on internal market.

In order to achieve satisfactory conditions for ensuring security of energy supply to the European economy and consumers, it is essential that:
• a continued and structured dialogue between Member States, the European Institutions, International Organizations, producing countries and industry be pursued ; 
• the legal and regulatory environment be supportive to investment and entrepreneurial flexibility; 
• finally, the current liberalization process rely essentially on business dynamics, preventing the risk of over-regulation.