Italy blames Germany for higher gas prices
Rome points to German gas stocks, while Berlin says security of supply is not at risk.
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Italy has accused Germany of pushing up European gas prices by replenishing its gas stocks. Germany rejects the claim that lower storage levels are creating a supply problem, but acknowledges that international tensions may affect prices.
The criticism came from Alessandro Noce, a senior official at Italy’s Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security. At a meeting in Milan, he linked Germany’s relatively low storage levels to price rises on the European gas market. His remarks were picked up by German media and led to a public debate between the two countries.
The crux of the dispute is the timing of purchases. Germany must replenish its stocks ahead of the heating season and is competing with other European countries and buyers of liquefied natural gas. Italy believes German purchases are increasing demand in the market. According to Rome, that could lead to higher prices, particularly in a tight market.
Germany’s regulator, Bundesnetzagentur, says that low storage levels are not in themselves evidence of a shortage. According to the agency, more than half of Germany’s storage capacity for the 2026–2027 storage year has already been traded, and there is no indication that market participants are failing to meet their obligations. Bundesnetzagentur describes the gas supply as stable.
At the same time, the regulator offers no complete reassurance. According to Bundesnetzagentur, price fluctuations on the global market may continue to be felt in Germany as long as geopolitical uncertainty persists. The agency stresses that households often have fixed-price agreements with their suppliers, meaning that market movements do not immediately appear in energy bills.
The dispute is relevant to the Netherlands because the Dutch gas market is closely connected to the European market and because Europe’s main trading venue is located in Amsterdam. A political dispute between two major gas consumers does not in itself change supply, but it could put pressure on European agreements on storage, joint purchasing and solidarity in times of scarcity.
It is unclear whether, and to what extent, German purchases contributed to the price rise. Nor has it been established that German decisions are the only or the main cause. European gas prices are being influenced simultaneously by geopolitics, seasonal demand, LNG competition and traders’ expectations.
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One story, several perspectives
What is established
- An Italian government official linked German gas storage to higher European prices.
- Germany’s regulator says the gas supply is stable and sees no immediate volume problem.
- The precise impact of German purchases on the price has not been established.
Left
Arguments The European gas market should be regulated more collectively. Countries should not be bidding against one another, and households and industry need protection from geopolitical price shocks.
Values Affordability, European solidarity and public direction.
Consequences More joint purchasing and storage could reduce price pressure, but would limit the freedom of national market participants.
Centre
Arguments The debate should be conducted using measurable market data. Storage is important, but prices are also determined by war, LNG supply and seasonal demand.
Values Institutional reliability, transparency and European coordination.
Consequences A combination of market forces, oversight and joint emergency plans is the obvious approach.
Right
Arguments Germany and Italy should remain responsible for their own energy policies. National governments should not distort the market with mandatory joint purchases or price interventions.
Values National responsibility, market forces and security of supply.
Consequences More competition can be efficient, but countries with less financial room may find it harder to replenish their stocks.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The main facts can be substantiated by a German regulator and reporting on the Italian criticism. The text clearly distinguishes between established statements and unproven causality.
- confirmed A senior Italian energy official criticised Germany over its low gas stocks. — Reported by t-online. source
- confirmed Bundesnetzagentur describes Germany’s gas supply as stable. — This is stated in the regulator’s explanatory note. source
- confirmed The regulator says that more than half of storage capacity for 2026–2027 has been traded. — Mentioned in Bundesnetzagentur’s explanatory note. source
Editor's note
It is certain that an Italian government official criticised Germany and that the German regulator describes security of supply as stable. The precise contribution of German purchases to the price rise has not been established.Sources
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „gas energie”
- NU.nl — „gas energie”
- De Telegraaf — „gas energie”