The Centralization of Natural Gas Procurement in the EU: An Economic Perspective

In this policy brief, we review the main trade-offs associated with joint procurement, or procurement “centralization”, as identified by procurement scholars. We then focus on the specific case of natural gas. Finally, we compare the procurement of natural gas to that of COVID-19 vaccines, arguing that the centralization of natural gas procurement can be expected to bring greater benefits at lower costs.

Giuffrida, Leonardo Maria and Giancarlo Spagnolo (2022), The Centralization of Natural Gas Procurement in the EU: An Economic Perspective, ZEW policy brief No. 22-03, Mannheim