The European Union faces the risk of falling short of securing enough gas supplies for winter in 2023, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday.
In a speech to the European Parliament in Brussels, von der Leyen warned that obtaining energy supplies for next year's winter "will be even more challenging" than in 2022.
The EU scrambled to replace Russian energy imports - gas especially - in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine in a bid to end a years-long dependency.
Moscow meanwhile throttled deliveries to the bloc, viewed as retaliation for Western sanctions imposed on Russia for invading Ukraine, citing maintenance work while demanding payments in roubles.
Von der Leyen warned that a complete cut-off of Russian gas supply to the EU, shortages in the global supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG), and increasing demand for LNG due to Asia's economic recovery could see the bloc miss crucial storage targets ahead of next winter.
The bloc could end up being short of around 30 billion cubic metres of LNG, she said.
The commission president said immediate action was needed and pointed to new emergency powers under proposal for faster approval of renewable energy projects to head off potential supply shortages.
Von der Leyen also stressed the importance of supporting European industry amid soaring energy prices, pointing to the commision's decision to loosen strict state-aid rules to help companies under pressure.
