NOVO-OGAREVO, October 6. /TASS/. Consumers in continental Europe are suffering from the decision of the last line-up the European Commission to switch to gas trading on the stock exchange, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting on energy sector development on Wednesday.
"In fact, this proposal to switch to gas trading on the stock exchange was made and was promoted by the experts of the last convocation of the European Commission, mainly by British experts. Where are these British experts now and where are their proposals now - it is clear. Of course, consumers in continental Europe are suffering from implementation of these proposals," the head of the Russian state said.
The gas prices in Europe during the October 6 trading set a new all-time high. At the opening of trade on Wednesday it exceeded $1,500 per 1,000 cubic meters, and then reached $1,600 per 1,000 cubic meters, according to the data of the ICE Exchange.
Gas prices in Europe are rising despite the news that testing of the first string of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline has begun. Gazprom expects the 2021-2022 winter to be cold and snowy.
At the end of September 2021, gas reserves in European storage facilities remain at their lowest level for many years. The gap in occupancy compared to last year is estimated at 20.5 billion cubic meters, Gazprom reported earlier.