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1. The competent authority shall require the natural gas undertakings that it identifies, to take measures to ensure the gas supply to the protected customers of the Member State in each of the following cases:

(a) extreme temperatures during a 7-day peak period occurring with a statistical probability of once in 20 years;

(b) any period of 30 days of exceptionally high gas demand, occurring with a statistical probability of once in 20 years;

(c) for a period of 30 days in the case of disruption of the single largest gas infrastructure under average winter conditions.

Member States may comply with the obligation laid down in the first subparagraph through the implementation of energy efficiency measures or by replacing the gas with a different source of energy, inter alia, renewable energy sources, to the extent that the same level of protection is achieved.

2. Any increased gas supply standard beyond the 30-day period referred to in points (b) and (c) of paragraph 1 or any additional obligation imposed for reasons of security of gas supply shall be based on the risk assessment, shall be reflected in the preventive action plan and shall:

(a) comply with Article 8(1);

(b) not impact negatively on the ability of any other Member State to supply gas to its protected customers in accordance with this Article in the event of a national, regional or Union emergency; and (c) comply with Article 12(5) in the event of a regional or Union emergency. The Commission may require a justification showing compliance of any measure referred to in the first subparagraph with the conditions laid down therein. Such a justification shall be made public by the competent authority of the Member State that introduces the measure.

By 2 February 2018, each Member State shall notify to the Commission its definition of protected customers, the annual gas consumption volumes of the protected customers and the percentage that those consumption volumes represent of the total annual final gas consumption in that Member State. Where a Member State includes in its definition of protected customers the categories referred to in point (5)(a) or (b) of Article 2, it shall specify the gas consumption volumes corresponding to customers belonging to those categories and the percentage that each of those groups of customers represents in total annual final gas consumption. The competent authority shall identify the natural gas undertakings referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph and shall specify them in the preventive action plan. Any new non-market-based measures envisaged to ensure the gas supply standard shall comply with the procedure established in Article 9(4) to (9).

Any new non-market-based measure pursuant to the first subparagraph of this paragraph, adopted on or after 1 November 2017, shall comply with the procedure established in Article 9(4) to (9).

3. After the expiry of the periods laid down by the competent authority in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2, or under more severe conditions than those laid down in paragraph 1, the competent authority and natural gas undertakings shall endeavour to maintain, as far as possible, the gas supply, in particular to protected customers.

4. The obligations imposed on natural gas undertakings for the fulfilment of the gas supply standards laid down in this Article shall be non-discriminatory and shall not impose an undue burden on those undertakings.

5. Natural gas undertakings shall be allowed to meet their obligations based on this Article at a regional or Union level, where appropriate. The competent authorities shall not require the gas supply standards laid down in this Article to be met based on infrastructure located only within their territory.

6. The competent authorities shall ensure that conditions for supplies to protected customers are established without prejudice to the proper functioning of the internal energy market and at a price respecting the market value of the supplies.