Workshops on the revision of the EU Oil Stocks Directive

As announced in the Accelerate EU Communication communication, the Commission started  the process to revise the Oil Stocks Directive (2009/119/EC) to address weaknesses identified during the current Middle East crisis. It is also an opportunity to modernise the framework to make it better fit for the ever-changing energy landscape and the new geopolitical and climate reality.

The Commission is therefore inviting relevant experts (such as, experts working on energy security, especially experts with direct, practical experience in oil markets and its supply chains, or experts representing oil producers and consumers) to register to participate in 2 workshops in July to discuss the revision of the Oil Stocks Directive, to address weaknesses identified in the current crisis and discuss how to future proof the EU oil security of supply architecture.

• Registration for the workshop on 2 July 2026
• Registration for the workshop on 23 July 2026 

Registration will end on Tuesday 21 July 2026, 23:59 (CEST)

Registering for the workshop does not guarantee that you will be able to take part. The Commission will decide who can participate, based on the type of requests for registrations received.

Background 

Oil remains the largest energy source in the EU, accounting for approximately 38% of the energy mix in 2024. Transport consumes around 70% of EU oil supply, with the chemical sector at 20% and heating and power at 10%. The EU is heavily import-dependent: 95% of crude oil is imported, while approximately 80% of oil product consumption is refined within Europe. Consumption of crude oil and petroleum products is expected to be divided by 2 to 3 with 2040 EU decarbonisation targets but will still be substantial.  

Key element of the EU oil security of supply framework, Directive 2009/119/EC, requires EU countries to maintain emergency stocks of 90 days of net imports or 61 days of consumption. EU countries must send the European Commission a statistical summary of their stocks at the end of each month. They must also put in place crisis management procedures to be able to react in case a crisis occurs. There is a coordination mechanism for stock withdrawals including with the parallel system of oil stocks in the International Energy Agency (IEA). The Oil Coordination Group is the standing advisory group that facilitates coordination between EU countries and the Commission during a crisis. 

The Middle East crisis has highlighted weaknesses of the current oil security of supply framework. In its AccelerateEU communication, the Commission therefore announced the revision of the Oil Stocks Directive.