EU gas market liberalisation and security of supply - An antagonism?

In the ongoing political debate on incentive-based concepts for a harmonized regulation of the EU gas market regulators and their governments of EU member States are confronted with a decisive opinion of gas network operators. The establishment of an EU-wide regulatory regime in order to intensify competition in all segments of the gas value chain and to reduce the tariffs for Third Party Access to networks is considered to constitute a hazard to the usual quality and reliability of gas supply services. In other words enforced regulation could jeopardize the security of gas supply. The analysis is trying to trace the evolution of the EU gas market and to find a rationale for reconciliation of the contrary positions from a welfare economics point of view.