14 Compulsory inventories
Compulsory inventories, at €363 million (the same as at 31 December 2012), consist of the minimum quantities of natural gas that the storage companies are obliged to hold pursuant to Presidential Decree 22 of 31 January 2001. The quantities of gas in stock, corresponding to approximately 4.5 billion standard cubic metres of natural gas, are determined annually by the Ministry of Economic Development17.
17 On 29 January 2014, the Ministry set the strategic storage volume for the 2014-2015 contractual storage year (1 April 2014 to 31 March 2015) at 4.62 billion cubic metres, more or less in line with the figure for the 2013-2014 contractual year (4.60 billion cubic metres). The quota pertaining to Stogit remained unchanged at 4.5 billion cubic metres.