European Union (EU) natural gas buyers and sellers found a match under the new AggregateEU platform launched by the European Commission (EC) for joint gas purchases.

The platform was created last year to help avoid the price hikes seen last summer in Europe and to reduce reliance on Russian pipeline imports.

Out of the total 11.6 billion cubic meters (Bcm) of demand registered by buyers on the platform,10.9 Bcm was tentatively matched by sellers. Twenty-five gas suppliers made offers in the first tender, according to EC Vice President Maros Sefcovic.

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If a buyer and seller are matched, negotiations are taken outside the AggregateEU platform, but...