Analysis-EU gas solidarity complicated by lack of fuel sharing deals

Model of natural gas pipeline, EU and Russia flags, July 18, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union clinched a deal this week to cope with a gas supply crisis, but to make it work member states need to establish bilateral pacts to share gas and, right now, most have no such agreement in place.

Only six such deals have been secured, leaving most of the EU's 27 countries without firm terms on how and when they would share gas in a supply crunch, or the financial compensation they would give or get for doing so.