Working Party on Gas

The Working Party on Gas had its genesis during the decade of the 1950s, a period of growing recognition within the ECE community of the role of the gas industry in meeting the fuel requirements of the region. The Economic Commission for Europe, at its eleventh session in 1956, decided to set up an Ad Hoc Working Party on Gas Problems. In the course of ECE reforms in 1990, the principal body for the ECE gas activities was given the present name - Working Party on Gas. .

Meetings

Recent Eighteenth session of the Working Party on Gas 22-23 January 2008, strarting at 10.00 AM Geneva, Palais des Nations, Salle XI Documents Presentations: Round Table (updated 28.02.2008)| Review of the Gas Situation and Prospects in the UNECE Region | Countries Presentations | Presentations by the UNECE and other International Organisations     Ninth session of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on the Supply and Use of Gas 24 January 2008, strarting at 10.00 AM Geneva, Palais des Nations, Salle XI Documents | Presentations   Past Seventeenth session of the Working Party on Gas 23 - 24 January 2007 Documents Presentations Round Table | Countries Presentations | Blue Corridor/NGV Presentations | Presentations by the UNECE and other International Organisations     Eighth session of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on the Supply and Use of Gas 25 January 2007 Documents | Presentations   Seventh Session of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on the Supply and Use of Gas 26 January 2006 Documents | Presentations       Sixteenth Session of the Working Party on Gas & Round Table on "Gas to Power" 24-25 January 2006 Documents | Invitation Letter [English] [Pусский] | Participants Presentations WP on Gas | Presentations Round Table Fifteenth Session of the Working Party on Gas & Round Table on Balance between Market and Regulation 18-19 January 2005 Documents | Previous Session Documents Presentations WP on Gas | Presentations Round Table   Fourteenth Session of the Working Party on Gas  20-21 January 2004 Documents | Presentations Round Table on " Long Term Security of Gas Supply in a Liberalised Market"  20 January 2004 Documents | Presentations

Objective

The Working Party serves as a forum for assessing changes and trends in the European gas situation. It favours the exchange of information and experience between ECE member-countries, considering policies, fostering international cooperation in problems of common interest and promotes the significant benefits to consumers from the use of the valuable natural resource.

The annual sessions of the Working Party on Gas, usually held at the end of January, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, gather together about one hundred participants representing governments, industry, private gas sector and international organisations. The Working Party on Gas reviews gas industries and gas markets developments, process of reforms, market liberalization, environmental policies of gas industry operations, major gas projects, position of gas versus other forms of energy, identify issues for intergovernmental cooperation and other issues. It decides on undertaking major studies, such as "Blue Corridor" (click here to download the publication), "Underground Gas Storage in Europe and Central Asia", and "Interconnection of Gas Networks", etc. In conjunction with the session, the Round Tables on topical issues of the gas industry are organized with participation of prominent experts in the area of discussion. In addition, the Working Party on Gas reviews the work undertaken by the Gas Centre.

Selected topics related to upstream activities are also considered by the Working Party on Gas while other technical issues such as transport, distribution and use of gas are dealt with through the activities of the Ad Hoc Group of Experts on Supply and Use of Gas.

Additional information

Programme of Work of the Working Party on Gas

Operating Modalities of the Working Party on Gas