STA, 25 August 2022 - The government decided on Thursday to reach an agreement on solidarity measures to ensure security of gas supply with Croatia. The agreement would allow Slovenia to ask Croatia to provide gas to Slovenia's protected customers if gas supply was disrupted, and vice versa. A similar agreement with Italy has already been ratified.
The draft agreement sets down the technical, legal and financial elements for such a solidarity mechanism between EU member states.
It is based on the EU regulation concerning measures to safeguard security of gas supply, the Government Communication Office (UKOM) said after the government session.
Slovenia would activate the solidarity support mechanism as a last resort, after having taken all possible measures to ensure gas supply to its protected customers, including cutting off the gas supply to unprotected customers.
Under the Slovenian law, protected customers are households but also basic social services connected to the distribution or transmission system, such as healthcare, education and care services.
The agreement obligates the country providing solidarity assistance to do its utmost to be able to offer the necessary amount of gas to the recipient country.
The recipient country may decide to accept a particular offer or not. If it accepts it, it also assumes the obligation to pay for the gas received, UKOM said.
If the agreement is signed, either party, Slovenia or Croatia, could ask for a solidarity gas supply.
In mid-June, the National Assembly unanimously ratified a similar agreement with Italy, and activities to sign one with Austria are also under way.
