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Why Italy Accused Germany of Delaying Gas Storage—and What It Means for Europe
At a Milan energy conference on October 29, 2026, Italy’s Alessandro Noce accused Germany of delaying gas purchases to cut costs ahead of Uniper and SEFE privatisations.
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- At a Milan energy conference on October 29, 2026, Italy’s Alessandro Noce accused Germany of delaying gas purchases to cut costs ahead of Uniper and SEFE privatisations.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: Why did Alessandro Noce, director general for energy markets and infrastructure at Italy’s Energy Ministry, accuse Germany at the Montel Ita. Article summary: Noce’s accusation was that Germany had prioritised reducing its energy companies’ storage costs ahead of privatisation over Europe’s collective winter preparedness, thereby contributing to the latest gas-price spike. Tha. Topic tags: general, news, general web, user generated, government. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermar
Italy’s accusation was about both timing and motive: Alessandro Noce said Germany had delayed filling its gas stores to reduce costs for energy companies ahead of privatisation, leaving Europe less prepared for winter. Germany rejected that explanation, and the available evidence does not establish that German storage decisions alone caused the price spike. 1
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What Noce accused Germany of doing
Speaking at the Montel Italian Energy Day in Milan on October 29, 2026, Noce said Germany had “let Europe down” by postponing gas stockbuilding. He linked the delay to efforts to reduce costs for energy companies ahead of the privatisations of Uniper and SEFE. Noce contrasted that with Italy’s spending of hundreds of millions of euros to fill its own gas storage before winter. 1
That comparison expressed Italy’s case; it does not prove the alleged motive. On October 30, the German government called the claim that it had delayed filling its stores to lower costs ahead of privatisation “unfounded.” 33
Why storage became part of the price dispute
Gas storage helps provide a buffer as winter demand rises. But Europe’s supply concerns were not limited to Germany. The European Commission said low stocks after winter 2025–2026, slower refilling during summer and disruptions to liquefied natural gas flows linked to the Middle East conflict had tightened supply and pushed EU gas prices higher. EU storage was about 75% full on October 27. 47
The European front-month gas benchmark touched €100 per megawatt-hour on October 28, its highest level since December 2022, according to a report on the price move. 24 That rise gives context to Noce’s criticism, but it does not by itself show that Germany’s storage decisions caused the market increase. The Commission’s explanation identifies several contributing pressures.
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What the Italy-Germany comparison does—and does not—show
Noce’s point was that Italy had paid to prepare its stores while, in his account, Germany delayed purchases to limit costs. That frames a political question about who bears the cost of preparing for a shared winter and whether national decisions can affect neighbours in an interconnected market. 1
However, the sources available here do not substantiate the specific storage percentages or the exact €300 million figure raised in the wider debate. Nor do they establish a direct causal link between Germany’s alleged delay and the full price increase. Those details should not be treated as proven on the basis of the reported accusation alone.
The wider European stakes
EU energy ministers were also discussing how to reduce household energy bills and strengthen security of supply before winter, against a backdrop of soaring fuel prices. 17 The storage dispute highlights the tension between national choices about when to buy gas and Europe’s shared exposure to tighter supply and higher prices.
The bottom line: Italy accused Germany of putting cost reduction ahead of collective preparedness, while Germany denied the claimed motive. The broader supply squeeze is better understood as the result of multiple pressures—including depleted stocks, slower refilling and disrupted LNG flows—rather than as a dispute with a single proven cause. 33
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At a Milan energy conference on October 29, 2026, Italy’s Alessandro Noce accused Germany of delaying gas purchases to cut costs ahead of Uniper and SEFE privatisations.