The EWI analysis examines the tight situation on the European gas market at the end of summer 2026. Gas storage (EU and the United Kingdom) is only around 55 percent full at the end of July – the second-lowest level for this date since 2016. To build a winter buffer of 80 percent by November, European LNG imports would have to more than double, drawn from a tight global market in which Europe competes with Asia for cargoes. Against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East, TTF prices remain elevated and volatile; a noticeable easing is not expected before the end of the winter.