The government will do all it can to ensure sufficient amounts of gas and remove as much as possible the consequences of the Russian-Ukrainian dispute over gas prices.
The dispute has caused a reduction in gas imports, affecting Croatia as well, Economy Minister Branko Vukelic said, adding that imports were normalised last night.
Stating that the situation was not alarming and that it had been stabilised, Vukelic announced the possibility of emergency gas imports to cover possible new shortages of Russian gas.
The head of the national oil company INA, Tomislav Dragicevic, said that efforts were being made to buy gas via Italy from Algeria.
Dragicevic said that 130,000 cubic metres of gas was being imported per hour, and that domestic gas production amounted to 190,000 cubic metres per hour, while the rest of market demand was being covered with gas from the underground gas storage area at Okoli, some 60 kilometres east of Zagreb.
Before the winter season, around 530 million cubic metres of gas was stored at Okoli, and currently there are 375 million cubic metres of gas in the storage area.
The government also warned about the problem of the Kutina-based producer of artificial fertilisers "Petrokemija", a major gas consumer which is undergoing repair from 15 December to 15 January.
Prime Minister Ivo Sanader said that Petrokemija was important for the spring sowing and that sufficient quantities of gas should also be secured for the company through imports.
Sanader suggested considering keeping in state ownership some segments of INA during the next privatisation stage, when a 15 percent share of the company will be sold on the stock market.
A five-member task force was appointed today to make this proposal.
Sanader announced for next week a session of the commission for the construction of gas supply systems to consider, among other things, new supply routes running via Hungary and Serbia.
Also, the government proposed amendments to the Bankruptcy Act and sent them to parliament for consideration.
It also sent to parliament a bill on shipping lines and occasional coastal transport services.
The government formulated a schedule for the adjustment of domestic legislation to that of the EU, envisaging the adjustment of 59 laws to EU legislation this year.