On the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and in hydrogen
IMCO-AD-732596
Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection · Rapporteur: Maria Grapini
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The Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection gives its opinion on the Commission's proposed directive on common rules for the internal markets in renewable and natural gases and in hydrogen.¶¶ It proposes amendments to strengthen consumer protection across the whole gases market, including comparison tools, switching rights, billing information and protection of vulnerable and energy poor consumers.¶¶¶ It proposes rules for third-party intermediaries, active customers, citizen energy communities and smart metering, and would extend certain provisions to hydrogen and low-carbon fuels.¶¶¶ It would allow Member States to intervene on prices for vulnerable and protected customers and to prohibit winter disconnections.¶¶
Committee position. The committee calls on the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy to take into account its amendments, which strengthen consumer protection, comparison tools, switching rights, protection of vulnerable consumers and rules for third-party intermediaries across the gases market.¶
Key points
- The rapporteur welcomes the proposal to remove regulatory barriers and align gas consumer protection with existing electricity market protection.¶
- Consumers should have access to comparison tools covering the entire gases market, and suppliers should provide information about all available offers to feed those tools.¶
- Member States should identify vulnerable consumers using criteria mirrored from the Electricity Directive and provide social and economic support, protecting them from winter disconnections.¶
- Consumers should be able to switch gas suppliers easily, and providers of bundled services should let final customers cancel or switch individual parts of the contract through direct negotiation.¶¶
- A cost-benefit assessment should estimate the benefits of smart meters for consumers so as not to create additional investments and burdens.¶¶
- New provisions would bind third-party intermediaries to the same rules as energy suppliers when completing tasks usually performed by them.¶¶¶
- Final customers who store and self-generate renewable gas should have the right to participate in all gas markets and value chains.¶¶
- All final customers connected to hydrogen systems would benefit from consumer protection rules and basic consumer rights applicable to natural gas customers.¶
- Member States may apply public interventions in price setting for gases to energy poor or vulnerable household customers and to other protected customers in the exceptional event of an unprecedented price increase.¶¶¶
- Suppliers would have to give final customers transparent information on prices, tariffs, standard terms and conditions, and a wide choice of payment methods.¶¶
- Disconnections of vulnerable and energy poor household customers using natural gas for heating would be prohibited during winter times, and disconnections during ongoing disputes for 8 weeks.¶
- Member States would have to ensure switching takes no longer than three weeks from the request, and by 2026 no longer than 24 hours.¶
Who is affected
- Gas consumers, who would gain stronger rights on switching, billing, comparison tools and protection from disconnection.¶¶¶
- Vulnerable and energy poor consumers, who would be identified and protected, including from winter disconnections.¶¶
- Third-party intermediaries, who would be bound by the same rules as energy suppliers.¶¶¶
- Suppliers and network operators, who would face new obligations on information, tariffs and separate asset bases.¶¶¶
- Member States, which would have to appoint competent authorities, single points of contact and ensure comparison tools.¶¶¶
Figures and deadlines
- One third of the energy used by European households is natural gas.¶
- Switching supplier or market participant within a maximum of three weeks from the date of the request.¶
- By 2026 at the latest, the technical process of switching shall take no longer than 24 hours.
- Disconnections prohibited during ongoing judicial or out-of-court disputes for a period of 8 weeks.¶
- Threshold for greenhouse gas emission reductions for low-carbon hydrogen should become more stringent for installations starting operations from 1 January 2031.¶
- Datasets on energy poverty should become comparable across Member States within two years after the entry into force of this Directive.¶