17. Considers that the Energy Union entails negotiating with one voice with third countries; calls on the Commission to analyse the appropriateness and potential structure of a voluntary collective purchasing mechanism and its impact on the functioning of the internal gas market, the undertakings affected and its contribution to ensuring security of gas supply; notes that since there are several models of collective purchasing mechanisms, further work needs to be done to determine the best market-based model applicable for EU regions and suppliers concerned and for the conditions under which a voluntary collective purchasing mechanism could be launched; considers that the coordination of positions and the collective purchasing of gas sho ...[+++]uld start at regional level; recommends, in the interim, that the Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat support those Member States and Energy Community Contracting Parties, respectively, that wish to negotiate energy contracts on a voluntary basis, in compliance with the EU internal market acquis and with EU competition and World Trade Organisation rules, and provide for protection of commercially sensitive information; underlines that energy contracts must be based upon market prices and competition;

15. Considers that the Energy Union entails negotiating with one voice with third countries; calls on the Commission to analyse the appropriateness and potential structure of a voluntary collective purchasing mechanism and its impact on the functioning of the internal gas market, the undertakings affected and its contribution to ensuring security of gas supply; notes that since there are several models of collective purchasing mechanisms, further work needs to be done to determine the best market-based model applicable for EU regions and suppliers concerned and for the conditions under which a voluntary collective purchasing mechanism could be launched; considers that the coordination of positions and the collective purchasing of gas sho ...[+++]uld start at regional level; recommends, in the interim, that the Commission and the Energy Community Secretariat support those Member States and Energy Community Contracting Parties, respectively, that wish to negotiate energy contracts on a voluntary basis, in compliance with the EU internal market acquis and with EU competition and World Trade Organisation rules, and provide for protection of commercially sensitive information; underlines that energy contracts must be based upon market prices and competition;

23. Stresses the need for greater transparency in energy-related agreements, which could be achieved by strengthening the role of the Commission in energy-related negotiations involving one or more Member States and third countries, in particular by making it a requirement for the Commission to participate in all negotiations as an observer in order to strengthen the position of individual Member States vis-à-vis a third-country supplier involved in the negotiations, so as to mitigate the risks of abuse of a dominant position by one supplier; notes, furthermore, that the Commission should carry out ex-ante and ex-post assessments, while fully respecting commercially sensitive information, and draw up both a positive and a negative list of ...[+++]agreement clauses, such as export ban, destination and take-or-pay clauses, the oil indexation of gas pricing or clauses forbidding a third party making energy supplies conditional on being granted preferential access to energy transport infrastructure in the EU; points out that, under Article 13(6)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 994/2010, when concluding new intergovernmental agreements with third countries which have an impact on the development of gas infrastructure and gas supplies, Member States are required to inform the Commission, in order to enable it to assess the situation regarding security of supply at EU level; calls on the Commission to include strong ex-ante assessment provisions on commercial gas supply contracts in the revision of the Security of Gas Supply Regulation;

21. Stresses the need for greater transparency in energy-related agreements, which could be achieved by strengthening the role of the Commission in energy-related negotiations involving one or more Member States and third countries, in particular by making it a requirement for the Commission to participate in all negotiations as an observer in order to strengthen the position of individual Member States vis-à-vis a third-country supplier involved in the negotiations, so as to mitigate the risks of abuse of a dominant position by one supplier; notes, furthermore, that the Commission should carry out ex-ante and ex-post assessments, while fully respecting commercially sensitive information, and draw up both a positive and a negative list of ...[+++]agreement clauses, such as export ban, destination and take-or-pay clauses, the oil indexation of gas pricing or clauses forbidding a third party making energy supplies conditional on being granted preferential access to energy transport infrastructure in the EU; points out that, under Article 13(6)(a) of Regulation (EU) No 994/2010/EU, when concluding new intergovernmental agreements with third countries which have an impact on the development of gas infrastructure and gas supplies, Member States are required to inform the Commission, in order to enable it to assess the situation regarding security of supply at EU level; calls on the Commission to include strong ex-ante assessment provisions on commercial gas supply contracts in the revision of the Security of Gas Supply Regulation;

26. Considers it necessary to focus more closely on long-term contracts between power suppliers and industrial consumers, cut energy costs and improve international supply grids, this being of key importance to the outlying regions of the EU, thereby helping to discourage relocation to third countries and between Member States; stresses that concluding long-term energy contracts may mitigate the risk of volatile energy prices and contribute to lowering electricity prices for industrial consumers; calls on the Commission to provide guidance on the competition aspects of long-term energy supply agreements;

The internal energy market plays an important role in security of supply, as the legislation establishing it seeks not only to achieve more competitive prices but also to impose public service obligations to ensure that there is no breakdown in energy supply.