It remains unclear how the European Union (EU) would jointly buy and store natural gas and hydrogen under a plan aimed at reducing dependence on Russian energy imports. 

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen said late last month that the bloc would utilize its collective bargaining power “instead of outbidding each other and driving up prices” to help control costs and attract more liquefied natural gas (LNG) and pipeline imports. Details on the joint buying plan are expected to be released in May. 

The bloc’s leaders are aiming to have a strategy in place by summer to fill European storage facilities before the winter heating season. But the proposed plan raises several problematic issues, including that it allows member states to participate in the...