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Wednesday, 28.08.2024, 06:48
Gazprom wants to have exceptions for South and Nord Stream from EU energy package
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A new version of an agreement on transnational energy transportation projects will be handed over to the European Commission on Friday during a Russia-EU summit on energy issues, Russia’s Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak said on Monday. The agreement should regulate South Stream and Nord Stream projects instead of the third energy package which is criticized in Russia, rtcom reports.
The main principle of the EU third energy package signed back in 2007 is equal access of all participants to infrastructure, which Gazprom is seeking to avoid. According to the document, a company supplying gas or electricity shouldn’t completely own the transportation pipelines, as it leads to artificial over-pricing.
At the moment Gazprom is seeking exceptions for its South Stream and Nord Stream pipelines with their branch pipelines OPAL and NEL, Russia’s Energy Minister Aleksandr Novak explained. Russia plans to produce its new project agreement on cross-border pipelines during the 30th Russia – EU Summit on December 21, according to Novak. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has already promised Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to support the Russian initiative.
Under the third energy package, “delivering the necessary market volumes to the EU borders, we now can’t account for the adequate transport capacity,” Vedomosti daily quotes Gazprom CEO Aleksey Miller as complaining.
Russia wants its South Stream project to be given the status of a cross-border project, the Energy Minister said. To get that, the countries where the pipelines go need to attribute national statuts to the project, which Bulgaria and Hungary had already done. Now Russia hopes that Serbia, Slovenia, Italy and Croatia will follow the lead.
The exempt status of the European parts in Nord Stream and South Stream could be possible, only if Russia calls off its ban on international gas transit through its territory, concluded Michael Korchyomkin, director at East European Gas Analysis.
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