EU countries pledge 20.5mn diesel barrels as winter supply fears grow

Eleven EU countries have pledged to release 20.5 million barrels of diesel from strategic reserves by the end of January 2027, as persistent instability in the Middle East raises concerns over fuel supplies ahead of winter, according to a document seen by Euronews. While Brussels maintained that physical shortages are not foreseen, Energy Commissioner Dan Jorgensen argued that skyrocketing prices will end up depriving the most vulnerable. The EU is exposed to diesel disruptions in refined fuel markets, which affect road transport, freight, agriculture and industry. Releasing strategic stocks under pressure from the United States administration could help increase immediate supply and ease market pressures. However, analysts see it as a temporary measure and not a solution to underlying vulnerabilities in the bloc's energy system. The 11 governments urged the Commission to coordinate monitoring, to collect monthly data on the volumes released, the types of products and the timing of deliveries.