FantasticSearch

1. If a Member State has requested the application of the solidarity measure pursuant to this Article, a Member State which is directly connected to the requesting Member State or, where the Member State so provides, its competent authority or transmission system operator or distribution system operator shall as far as possible without creating unsafe situations, take the necessary measures to ensure that the gas supply to customers other than solidarity protected customers in its territory is reduced or does not continue to the extent necessary and for as long as the gas supply to solidarity protected customers in the requesting Member State is not satisfied. The requesting Member State shall ensure that the relevant volume of gas is effectively delivered to solidarity protected customers in its territory.

In exceptional circumstances and upon a duly reasoned request by the relevant electricity or gas transmission system operator to its competent authority, the gas supply may also continue to certain critical gas-fired power plants as defined pursuant to Article 11(7) in the Member State providing solidarity if the lack of gas supply to such plants would result in severe damage in the functioning of the electricity system or would hamper the production and/or transportation of gas.

2. A Member State shall also provide the solidarity measure to another Member State to which it is connected via a third country unless flows are restricted through the third country. Such an extension of the measure shall be subject to the agreement of the relevant Member States, who shall involve, as appropriate, the third country through which they are connected.

3. A solidarity measure shall be taken as a last resort and shall apply provided that the requesting Member State has:

(a) declared an emergency under Article 11;

(b) not been able to cover the deficit in gas supply to its solidarity protected customers despite the application of the measure referred to in Article 11(3) or, where a Member State has taken temporary measures to reduce the non-essential gas consumption of protected customers in accordance with Article 11(7a), the essential volumes of gas consumption to its solidarity protected customers;

(c) exhausted all market-based measures (voluntary measures), all non-market-based measures (mandatory measures) and other measures contained in its emergency plan;

(d) notified an explicit request to the Commission and to the competent authorities of all Member States with which it is connected either directly or pursuant to paragraph 2 via a third country, accompanied by a description of the implemented measures referred to in point (c) of this paragraph.

3a. The Member States which are obliged to provide solidarity pursuant to paragraph 1 shall be entitled to deduct from the solidarity offer the supplies to its solidarity protected customers or, where a Member State has taken temporary measures to reduce the non-essential gas consumption of protected customers in accordance with Article 11(7a), the supplies of the essential volumes of consumption of gas to its solidarity protected customers.

4. The Member States that receive a request for a solidarity measure shall make offers on the basis of voluntary demand-side measures as much as and for as long as possible, before resorting to non-market-based measures. Where market-based measures prove to be insufficient for the Member State providing solidarity to cover the deficit in gas supply to solidarity protected customers in the requesting Member State, the Member State providing solidarity may introduce non-market-based measures in order to comply with the obligations laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2.

5. If there is more than one Member State that could provide solidarity to a requesting Member State, the requesting Member State shall, after consulting all Member States required to provide solidarity, seek the most advantageous offer on the basis of costs, speed of delivery, reliability and diversification of gas supplies. Where the available market-based offers prove not to be sufficient to cover the deficit in gas supply to the solidarity protected customers in the requesting Member State or, where the requesting Member State has taken temporary measures to reduce the non-essential gas consumption of protected customers in accordance with Article 11(7a), the deficit in gas supply of the essential volumes of gas consumption to its solidarity protected customers, the Member States required to provide solidarity shall be obliged to activate non-market-based measures.

6. The competent authority of the requesting Member State shall immediately inform the Commission and the competent authorities of the Member States providing solidarity when gas supply to solidarity protected customers in its territory is satisfied or where the obligations under paragraphs 1 and 2 are, based on its needs, reduced, or where they are suspended at the request of the Member State receiving solidarity.

7. The obligations laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply subject to the technically safe and reliable operation of the gas system of a Member State providing solidarity and the limit of the maximum interconnection export capability of the relevant Member State infrastructure towards the requesting Member State. Technical, legal and financial arrangements may reflect such circumstances in particular those under which the market will deliver up to maximum interconnection capacity.

Unless the Member State requesting solidarity and the Member State providing solidarity agree on another price, the price for the gas supplied to the Member State requesting solidarity shall correspond to the day-ahead market price in the Member State providing solidarity the day preceding the request for solidarity or the corresponding day-ahead market price at the closest accessible exchange, at the closest accessible virtual trading point, or at an agreed hub over the day preceding the request for solidarity. Compensation for the gas volumes delivered in the context of a solidarity request shall be paid directly by the Member State requesting solidarity to the Member State providing solidarity or the entity both Member States indicate in their response to the solidarity request and the confirmation of receipt and of the volume to be taken. The Member State to which the request for a solidarity measure is addressed shall provide the solidarity measure as soon as possible and no later than the indicated delivery time for the request. A Member State may refuse to provide solidarity to a Member State requesting solidarity provided that the requested Member State demonstrates that:

(a) it does not have enough gas for the volumes to be supplied to the solidarity protected customers; or (b) it does not have sufficient interconnection capacity available, as set out in Article 13(7), or gas flows are restricted through a third country. Such refusal shall be strictly limited to the volumes of gas affected by one or both of the limitations referred to in the fourth subparagraph. In addition to the default rules provided for in this paragraph, Member States may agree on technical arrangements and on the coordination of the provision of solidarity. This paragraph shall be without prejudice to existing arrangements for the safe and reliable operation of the gas system.

The Member States receiving a solidarity request shall send a response that indicates the contact details referred to in the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c), and the volume and quality that can be supplied to the interconnection points at the time requested as referred to in the first subparagraph, points (d) to (g). If the volume that can be supplied by voluntary measures is insufficient, the response shall indicate the volume resulting from possible curtailment, from the release of strategic stocks or from the application of other measures. Solidarity requests shall be submitted at least 48 hours before the indicated delivery time for gas.

The response to solidarity requests shall be effective within 18 hours. The confirmation of the volume to be taken by the Member State requesting solidarity shall be effective within six hours of receipt of the solidarity offer and at least 24 hours before the indicated delivery time for gas. The request may be submitted for a period of one day or several days, and the response shall match the requested duration. Where there are several Member States providing solidarity and bilateral solidarity arrangements are in place with one or several of them, those arrangements shall prevail between the Member States having agreed bilaterally. The default rules provided for in this paragraph shall only be applicable in relation to the other Member States providing solidarity. The Commission may facilitate the implementation of solidarity, in particular by means of a template accessible on a secured online platform to enable real-time transmission of requests and offers.