Twelve EU countries will accelerate the release of 42.6 million barrels from reserves, including 20.5 million barrels of diesel

The volumes are expected to reach the market by the end of January 2027, according to the commitment reported by AFP after the meeting of energy ministers. An already agreed intervention is being accelerated, without a guaranteed reduction in prices at the pump.

Twelve EU member states have pledged to accelerate the release of 42.6 million barrels of oil and petroleum products from strategic reserves by the end of January 2027, including 20.5 million barrels of diesel. The commitment, reported by AFP on 29 October after the meeting of energy ministers in Luxembourg, aims to ease pressure on the market ahead of winter. European Commissioner for Energy Dan Jørgensen publicly confirmed the total volume and that approximately half would be diesel.

In brief

1.The 12 states aim to release 42.6 million barrels from strategic reserves more quickly by the end of January 2027. This is a commitment to put the volume on the market, not a volume already delivered in full.

2.Diesel accounts for 20.5 million barrels, approximately 48% of the total, in a European market under pressure.

3.Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Sweden are participating. Romania does not appear on the list reported by AFP.

4.The measure accelerates existing international commitments. In October, the IEA called for the completion of the collective intervention launched in March, meaning that the volumes should not be added together as entirely separate operations.

5.The aim is to ease supply and price pressures, particularly for diesel. The commitment does not guarantee a specific reduction in prices at the pump in every country.

The list of states and the end-of-January deadline come from the joint statement described by AFP. In the official report of the Council of the EU, France is mentioned as having initiated the briefing of ministers on a joint statement to stabilize the diesel market. This is an action by the participating states, not a new obligation imposed on all 27 members of the Union.

Diesel occupies a central place in the intervention. The 20.5 million barrels represent approximately 48.1% of the volume of 42.6 million, based on the ratio between the two announced figures. Releasing products that have already been refined can help a market in which the availability of crude oil alone does not ensure the availability of the fuel needed by freight transport, agriculture and industry.

The commitment forms part of the international effort to respond to energy disruptions caused by the conflict in the Middle East. On 15 October, the Governing Board of the International Energy Agency reaffirmed that its member states should continue the collective intervention launched in March and accelerate the remaining deliveries, particularly of diesel.

The IEA stated at the time that approximately 330 million barrels had been released and that around 100 million remained to be delivered. Some states had already exceeded their initial commitments or intended to do so, meaning that the final total was expected to exceed the 400 million barrels initially announced in March. The figures describe stages and updates of the same intervention, not quantities that can be automatically added together.

The Agency continued to observe tensions in the oil market, particularly for diesel, and called on states with production and refining capacities to increase supply. At the same time, it stressed the importance of maintaining the free flow of energy trade. In this context, releasing stocks is an emergency measure that complements production and imports.

In its assessment published on 22 October, the European Commission described the supply of diesel and aviation fuel as tight, without at that time identifying a physical shortage in Europe. That assessment concerns the situation at the time of evaluation and does not rule out local difficulties or costs that are difficult to bear. The availability of a product and consumers' ability to afford it are distinct issues.

The new information compared with the Commission's dialogue with refineries, previously reported by 2EU, is the acceleration of the release of a specified volume from strategic reserves. The dialogue on 28 October concerned the assessment of industry's proposals to increase production and prepare a roadmap; it did not constitute approval of any technical derogations. Reserves and production are different response tools to the same pressure on fuels.

Putting the volume on the market does not mean simultaneous delivery in all states, nor an identical reduction in prices. The effect depends on the schedule, the type and location of the products, transport, and developments in demand and international quotations. The commitment announces additional supply becoming available more quickly, without setting a European pump price.

The end-of-January 2027 deadline provides a reference point for verifying implementation. The assessment will depend on the quantities actually delivered and developments in the diesel market, not merely on the volume pledged at the meeting.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/douasprezece-state-ue-accelereaza-eliberarea-a-42-6-milioane-de-barili-din-rezervele-petroliere-jumatate-fiind-motorina