Energy Community Study Lays Roadmap for Unlocking Cross-Border Gas Capacity in South-Eastern Europe
Amid the EU’s push to diversify gas supplies and end its dependence on Russian energy by 2027, and Europe's broader efforts to bolster energy security and ease supply bottlenecks, central and South Eastern Europe will play an increasingly pivotal role in facilitating alternative gas flows. A new study from the Energy Community Secretariat proposes solutions to activate a key regional gas corridor. Titled “Unlocking Commercial Attractiveness of the Trans-Balkan Pipeline System,” the study presents clear, legally compliant steps to optimise the use of the Trans-Balkan Pipeline (TBP) in reverse mode. This strategic south–north corridor spans Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Moldova, and Ukraine, and can bring LNG from Greek terminals, Caspian, and hub-based volumes from the Eastern Mediterranean into Central and Eastern Europe.
The study’s proposals aim to eliminate the technical, regulatory, and economic barriers that limit the effective use of cross-border gas capacity in time for the 2026/27 gas year. The potential economic and strategic benefits are considerable. For example, the measures proposed could translate in €92 million in additional annual revenues for transmission system operators (TSOs), assuming a full monthly LNG cargo utilisation (for higher volumes, the higher incomes are projected) — while strengthening regional energy security, advancing regional gas markets integration, and ensuring full compliance with both EU and the Energy Community legal frameworks.
The study is the result of a broad and inclusive consultation with key European and national stakeholders, including TSOs, The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG), The EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER), the European Commission, national regulatory authorities (NRAs), and market participants. This consultation was both essential to identifying key barriers to cross-border flows and effective solutions to them.
Challenges flagged include high transport costs—reaching up to €10/MWh on multi-border routes—fragmented access rules and uncoordinated booking procedures that prevent efficient capacity utilisation, regulatory uncertainty, and limited firm capacity at critical points such as the Isaccea–Orlivka interconnection between Romania and Ukraine.
The findings will inform the Secretariat’s ongoing work under the Central and South-Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity Initiative (CESEC), in continued partnership with the European Commission and ACER. To move forward, regulators and TSOs must align on tariff structures and publish clear, non-discriminatory capacity rules.
The Energy Community Secretariat stands ready to support this process by facilitating cross-border coordination and monitoring progress.