PARIS, October 1. /TASS/. Natural gas storage facilities in France are 83% full ahead of the start of the heating season, with inventories expected to rise to 85%, Chairwoman of the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE) Emmanuelle Wargon said on BFM Business.

"The situation is improving, as storage levels now exceed 83%. The target is 85%, so we are almost there," Wargon said.

She noted that the delay in filling storage facilities was due to market participants waiting for prices to change. According to the CRE chairwoman, they began fulfilling their storage obligations in late August. Wargon explained that gas prices are rising and, since France imports up to 95% of the fuel, it is entirely dependent on conditions in global energy markets.

International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said earlier that the coming winter would be difficult for European countries due to low gas inventories in storage facilities, as well as supply problems, including those related to the EU’s policy toward Russia. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron said on September 18 that Paris expected to fill the country’s gas storage facilities to 80% by winter, adding that Europe’s average dependence on gas is higher than that of France.