Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck and his counterparts Federal Councillor Albert Rösti, Head of the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications, and Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Italian Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, will sign two agreements next week in the context of the BETD: a German-Italian agreement on solidarity measures in the event of a supply crisis and a trilateral agreement extending the provisions of the bilateral agreement to include Switzerland. The inclusion of Switzerland aims to ensure the transit between Germany and Italy.

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck said: “Security of supply in Europe continues to be important. In the two agreements, we have defined how Germany, Italy and Switzerland can help one another quickly in the unlikely event of an extreme shortage of gas. This is an important signal of political unity beyond the Member States of the European Union. At the same time, it is an example of how crisis prevention is proactively being shaped in an integrated European internal gas market. Let’s not forget that solidarity is one of Europe’s strengths. This is why I expressly welcome the agreements that were signed today and hope that many other Member States will soon follow.”

The trilateral agreement between Germany, Switzerland and Italy ensures that the bilateral agreement between Germany and Italy can actually be applied in a severe gas shortage situation. In the event of an extreme gas shortage, solidarity deliveries are to be made as a measure of last resort to ensure that households, district heating systems, and essential social service institutions in the Member State affected are supplied with gas. In accordance with the SoS Regulation of the EU, all EU Member States which are connected with one another directly or via a third country need to conclude bilateral solidarity agreements.

Germany had already concluded agreements with Denmark and Austria in December 2020 and in December 2021 respectively. We are holding talks with further countries.

The trilateral agreement ensures the extension of the bilateral agreement to include Switzerland as gas transit country. Liechtenstein is also part of the trilateral agreement via a customs treaty between Switzerland and Liechtenstein.